Harry Potter and the Silver Vixen
by Patton44
Summary: After the fall of Lord Voldemort, Harry s brother Max is hailed the Boy Who Lived. and Harry himself slowly starts to drift from England to his new life across the English Channel. (Harry Potter/Fleur Delcour Story)
1. Prologue

**Prologue.**

**July 31st, 1977.**

**A woman in St' Mungo's cried out in pain. As she struggled to stay awake the man next to her was trying as best he could to keep the woman's spirits up and did his best to encourage her. She panted from exhaustion, her body was weakening. **

**"Come on Lilly, "The man told his wife "Just a little bit more he's almost here "**

**"Easy for you to say James " Lilly "You're not the one who has to deliver the little bugger"**

**Mustering her final ounce of strength, Lilly took one last huge breath and pushed for one last time. The shrieking cries indicated a new life had been born. She smiled through her exhaustion, and the man beside her grinned ecstatically.**

**Though she was starting to drift off into the realm of sleep that was not enough to prevent her desire from seeing her baby holding him in her arms. As soon as the healers finished getting the baby cleaned off, they obliged to her wishes. They handed the baby into her outstretched arms once he was ready to be held. The man next to her leaned over to help as she struggled to reach out for her baby. Her face exploded with happiness, smiling so brightly. She forgot her fatigue as she watched the sleeping form of her baby.**

**"Congratulations, Ms. Potter, on a healthy baby boy." the healer said with a smile. "What are you going to name him?"**

**Lily exchanged a look with her husband before shifting her attention back to the healer with a smile. "Harry. Harry James Potter."**

**The healer smiled, nodding her head. After cleaning and putting away the equipment, she left the couple alone to spend time with their .**

**For a while, silence was the only thing in the room. All of a sudden, Lily whispered quietly to the man, "He's beautiful James.."**

**"Hmm What..." James Potter wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying, too distracted holding one of his son's tiny hands.**

**Lily chortled at his behavior, shaking her head tiredly."We spent all of this time waiting for this little guy" she said softly**

**As James then tried to reach down to give little Harry a kiss he turned and bopped James on the nose**

**James blinked surprised and then let out a chuckle "My My this one is going to be quite a feisty one" **

**Lily smiled "I think he is going to get along with Sirius quite well she said"smiling warily.**

**Little by little, a large grin swiped across James's mouth. He had never felt so happy in his life. As he was now a new father, He couldn't help but dance happily.**

**As they started small chat as Lilly started to drift into sleep The sound of someone yawning captured the attention of both adults. James swiftly rushed to Lily's side. They watched expectantly as their son gradually fluttered his eyes open and caught his first sight of his parents. What they saw that instant made them breathless as a pair of bright beautiful emerald eyes gazed back at them.**

**"Lily, he has your eyes!" James joyfully proclaimed. "Look, he has your eyes!"**

**"Yes, but his are much more beautiful than mine..." Lily kissed the baby's forehead, hugging him lovingly.**

**"My son is going to be a real ladies' man when he grows up. Sirius will be so proud!"**

**"James! I'm not going to let you or his godfather influencing him into something like that!" Although her body was drained of energy, they knew she was still capable of unleashing her wrath on her husband.**

**The man cowered under her glare. "Come on, Lil. It's just a thought... Nothing wrong with that..." he chuckled nervously.**

**The sound of laughter caused both adults to look down in surprise. They were astounded to find the baby was giggling at them, holding his tiny hands in the air. Their shock melted at the sound of their baby's laughter and both parents smiled at their son. James offered his finger to his son, who grabbed his finger in both tiny hands smiling**

**"You know Lily? I think that Harry is really going to do great things in the future..." James wiggled his finger in the baby's hands, eliciting another giggle from Harry**

**"Yes, he will," Lily agreed. "I Think he will James..."**

**About an hour later Sirius and Remus arrived in the hospital room to look at their godson**

**When Harry saw Sirius start to approach him he looked at Sirius and cooed at his godfather**

**"Look" Sirius smiled "The little guy likes me don't you Harry" reaching out to touch the baby he was surprised when he swatted away Sirius hand with a small grin on his face,**

**"Well, would you look at that"Remus chuckled "He doesn't seem to like you that much Sirius".**

**"I don't know why"Sirius grinned "I'm so loveable".**

**"In your dreams Padfoot," Lilly told the dark-haired Marauder "I hope that Prongslet isn't reckless like his father ".**

**"Hey" James groaned "I resemble that remark"**

**Harry giggled at the adults arguing around him.**

**Lily smiled at her baby squirming around on the bed and was about to reach for him when they were interrupted by the door opening.**

**In walked a tall, thin man, with silver hair and a beard so long that it looked like it could be tucked into his belt**

**"Ahh, Albus you made it"James recognized the old headmaster.**

**"Lily, James"The headmaster looked at them with the customary twinkle in his eyes "I am glad to see that you all are ok and that the child arrived without a problem.".**

**"Yes headmaster everything went as it was supposed to, "James told holding up the baby"This is Harry James Potter"**

**Dumbledore smiled as he viewed the child nestled in James' arms **

**Remus and Sirius smiled as they viewed James showing his son to the Headmaster. Remus than decide to add his two sickles "He seems to have inherited Lily's eyes and James attitude Headmaster"**

**Dumbledore nodded looking sheepish "How many times do I have to tell you my boys I am no longer your headmaster you can just call me Albus".**

**"Sorry, still a force of habit Albus" Sirius admitted.**

**"Don't worry about it my boy you are not the first and will not be the last to do that"Dumbledore said looking down at Harry "My congratulations on your new child Mr. and Mrs. Potter may he bring you much joy in life".**

**James and Lily thanked the headmaster and as he was leaving Lilly started to feel the effects of the childbirth.**

**"Alright everyone out, "Lilly said, "You can visit Harry later I'm tired".**

**"Alright," Remus said "Congratulations"**

**As Remus and Sirius left the hospital room James looked down and kissed his wife before leaving to get some sleep of his own.**

**"He's beautiful Lills" James smiled like Christmas had come early.**

**"Yes, and you can look at him later but i need to sleep"In a voice that showed that Lily was getting frustrated by the lack of sleep.**

**James chuckled as he left the hospital room and Lilly drifted off into the realm of sleep.**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

31 October 1981.

The wind howled fiercely across the blackened sky as Rain poured down relentlessly over a lone his follower

"Is this the Potter's House Wormtail "He turned to the quivering man

"Yes My Lord "Pettigrew told the older man "Potter Cottage is at 1234 Godric's Hollow"

As he saw the house start to appear he turned back to Pettigrew

"Very Well then leave you have served your purpose," the man said turning back to the spy "I will finish the rest of this myself".

"Thank you my lord"Pettigrew said with relief "You are too kind".

As Pettigrew turned to leave he turned back to the cottage

He had not trusted any of his followers to escort him on this important mission. He had to do this alone. Lord Voldemort, the self-proclaimed Dark Lord of Wizardry, marched with authority toward his target. The Potter's secret keeper had now revealed to him the location of where they lay hidden. Normally, he would ignore such a child, reflecting it to not be a threat to his power, though he had been convinced to make an exception in this case

With a wave of his wand, the door exploded. A high-pitch screech shattered his thoughts. Without looking, he soundlessly cast a dark curse in the girl's direction, decapitating her. Looking over the body, his lips curled downward. The body looked like an ordinary muggle but didn't belong to that mudblood or her husband. The Potter's weren't here. Boiling in rage, he screamed, permitting a huge flow of magic to destroy every bit of his surroundings.

With a swish of his wand, the wards around the house began to collapse. Just as he was about to leave, the cries of a baby emanated from the upper level of the house. Voldemort moved to the staircase, scurrying up it until he reached the last door,.He blasted the door open, causing a small boy to jolt in surprise. Red eyes stared with interest at the crib, though what fascinated him most was the older boy, no more than four years old, who was gazing at him with fierce emerald eyes.

"Do you not fear me, boy?" Voldemort hissed in a dark voice.

"No I have been expecting you!" the boy hissed back

Voldemort looked surprised "You can speak the language of the snakes"He sounded impressed

The boy shrugged "I have spoken to the garden snakes before if that is wondering "But I don't know what that would be".

Voldemort's eyes flashed in amusement. "Ah, the fun of youth if things were different I would welcome you as one of my own but sadly that is not the case. I do not kill children nor do I torture them, but your brother is an exception. So I ask you to stand aside, boy! It is not you who I am after!"

"I am afraid that cannot happen," the boy told the Dark Lord...

"Very well, if you wish to defend your brother, then I suppose you shall die by his side. Nonetheless, I need to deal with him first, so be gone for now!" With a wave of his wand, the boy flew behind the crib, hitting the wall with a hard thump. The man glanced into the crib, spotting a bawling child no more than a year old. "At long last, I have found you. I do not know why the fates say this, but this has to be done, one way or another. Farewell, Max Potter. Rest assured I will make this painless."

He looked to the side and saw young Harry looking at him with those infernal eyes. He decided it wouldn't hurt for Max Potter to see his brother die in front of him before he finished the job.

Turning and leveling his wand, he summoned his magic. "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry Potter watched the scene unfold before him. He had already seen all of this in his dreams and smirked as he knew the mistake that was being made. As he saw the green beam start to streak toward him as he hoped this all worked out as he his jaws, gritting his teeth together something tingled inside Harry. A golden light began to envelop his body, sparkling fiercely. It halted the killing curse just before it reached him.

The man's eyes were wide in shock, never before had he stumbled upon such magic. He believed the baby had created such a thing. Sweat poured over Harry in his effort to stop the killing curse. The baby cried more at all the ruckus, and as fate entwined their futures, the baby poured all of his magic into the golden shield. With this sudden turnabout, the shield miraculously converted into the color of white before deflecting the rest of the curse back to the Dark Lord.

An ear-piercing scream erupted from the cottage, followed by the cries of Max Potter. Bit by bit, the snake-faced man was ripped to pieces, replaced by a pile of black ashes

James and Lily Potter had been called by Dumbledore to an emergency meeting of the Order of the a major recent battle in Diagon Alley that had left several of their number cut down. But right in the middle of it, they were interrupted by their house elf Mipsy barging in, panic written all over her face as she kept babbling in a scared voice. It took several minutes to settle her down, enough for them to understand she was yelling about something bad happening at the house involving the kids

Both parents swallowed uneasily, praying that their worst fear of Voldermort finding their house had not come true

Nonetheless, when Dumbledore confirmed that someone unwanted had entered their hidden place, they knew it to be true. After Apparating to their residence, everyone stared in horror at the fire blazing through the house. Dumbledore commanded everyone to cast Aguamenti in order to put out the seemingly uncontrollable flames.

Ignoring everyone else, both parents sprinted into the house. Dumbledore and a few others followed, casting Aguamenti all the way. A feeling of dread surfaced as they caught sight of the girl the Potter's had assigned to watch over their children, lying in front of them without a head. Lily, sobbing by now, dashed upstairs to find her boys. Without wasting any time, the others followed her.

That was when they came across a very strange sight.

Before them lay their two kids with Max still crying in his crib and Harry laying against the wall looking stunned but still in one piece. Relief ignited in all of them. The parents rushed to Max to inspect his injuries while the others flew to the unconscious boy. They then moved over frantically to satisfy their concerns regarding whether or not her younger son was ok or not. A few minutes after they had arrived the Hogwarts Matron Madam Pomfrey came over to verify their conditions.

She noted that the eldest son had suffered damage only to his left arm, which she deemed the primal reason for his current state halfway across the room from his brother. She never realized that the true reason for his current state had been his exhaustion from using too much magic. As Madam Pomfrey declared Max Potter had lost the majority of his magic but was still conscious. Dumbledore walked over to the younger baby, held by Lily, and moved a strand of red hair away from his face. There, on his forehead, was a lightning bolt scar caused by some falling debris with blood still trickling over its features.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

July 31st, 1982.

A solitary figure standing by a banister on the stairs concealed his presence from the others in the house. Everyone was smiling, laughing, and talking. He watched as his father showed his little brother to everyone with a huge grin. His mother stood by his father's side, emitting in happiness. Everyone clapped their hands, cheering at the sight of the Boy-Who-Lived.

Tears glistened on the older brother's cheeks, whose birthday was on the exact same day. How ironic that he had once thought this was a good thing. Wouldn't it be fun for siblings to celebrate their birthday together? But now he began to see it as a cruel twist of fate. It seemed not a single person recalled that his birthday was the same as their precious savior's. Not even their parents.

He had been looking forward to his fifth birthday and had been very excited when he woke up that morning. But all that hope had collapsed to the ground. How naive was he. All he wanted was for his parents to remember him His thoughts came crashing back to earth as the party-goers sang his brother the birthday song.

Slowly, he withdrew from the stair railing and moved to the end of the hall. Entering his room, he closed the door silently. The voices outside still echoed in his ears. He climbed into his bed,. He wished himself a happy birthday and for a true friend that he could celebrate it with in a hushed tone. And then, he pulled the covers over his head and dozed off to sleep.

November 1st, 1984

Harry had not been able to sleep in a while as his dreams had continued to be visited by the memories of a much younger and intelligent man whom he had recognized as the person who had attacked their home a few years earlier.

Dream World

Harry watched as a young boy probably no older than eleven was sitting in a rather dreary classroom watching as the rest of his classmates who were looking down at their desks muttering at what looked like feathers placed on each desk.

The Professor looked up at everyone "Remember kids the incantation is Wingardium Leviosa all you need to do is a simple swish and a flick like this "he told the class levitating the feather effort

Most of the students were looking frustrated at their lack of mastery of the spell after multiple failed attempts

The Student looked down at his own feather and tried the swish and flick motion that the professor had told them to do. All of a sudden the feather instead of lifting into the air burst into flames.

"Hey, look guys Riddle screwed up again"A slightly older red-haired boy sneered to his friends.

Harry saw that the boy that he had identified as Tom Riddle seemed quite dejected at his failure and at the other students taunting.

"Quiet now, "The professor told to the students "We all learn at different rates and maybe Mr. Riddle just is a bit of a slow learner compared to the rest of us, "the professor said but while also looking at Tom with a bit of worry.

Harry felt sorry for Tom but thought the spell with levitating the feathers looked interesting to try.

He was still underage and thus could not own his own wand yet but by looking at the dreams he got about Tom and at some of the books in the manor he was able to gain a good understanding of quite a few of the incantations

Real World

As Harry woke up he realized that he had fallen asleep still covered in the books that he had fallen asleep with the previous night.

When he had realized what the dreams he had been having where about he had started to look through the books that were at Potter Manor To try and see if he could do some of the incantations without having a wand. So far he had only been able to cast a non-verbal Wand-Lighting Spell causing his finger to light up for a few minutes although he had not been able to progress much further than beyond that.

Harry then heard his stomach start to grumble a bit and he went downstairs to get some food for breakfast.

As he was getting some food out of the cabinets to put together to eat he heard his father start to approach down the stairs.

As James started to head towards the kitchen he noticed Harry standing there

"Hey," James said "Did you see Max's quidditch game yesterday"He beamed "I really think that McGonagall will let him on the team just like she did for Max's old man here".

Yesterday was Max Potter's first time playing quidditch with his dad and despite it being nothing interesting to watch James kept crowing about his son's prowess not noticing as Harry left a little bit annoyed about how wonderful people were talking about max and not even noticing him.

Harry knew that he could not compete for his parent's affection against the Boy-Who-Lived but he would show them. When he started Hogwarts in four years he wanted to know as much magic as he could so he could show everyone that he was worth something

As he got back to his room he set himself back to looking at the books he had scattered over his desk and set himself on working on one of the spells that he had been working on for a few weeks now the Smokescreen Spell Fumos

He looked down at the notes that he had written from the book that described creating a defensive cloud of smoke from the wand that was supposed to hinder visibility

Harry tried to then see if he could get the smoke to come out of the area around his hand. After extensively trying after about an hour he was happy when he was able to conjure up a thin cloud of smog.

As he heard someone walking past his door outside he decided to go back to sleep as to not let anyone know that he was working on magic before he went to school a secret that he would want to keep for as long as possible.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

May 1985

England

Harry was really bored. His parents had been very involved in the past few months with a high workload at the Ministry where his mom and dad were a curse breaker and auror respectively. With not a lot to do or keep him occupied at home except talk to the House elf's, he had decided to do some exploring.

The other day he had seen his dad leave work by throwing green powder in their fireplace and disappearing. He had then asked one of the house elf's Mipsy about what that was and she said it was a form of transportation called the floo. Intrigued on one of the days that his parents were working late and Max was busy at a friends house he decided to see if he could take the Floo to Diagon Alley that he had heard so much about.

When he tried it himself one day it didn't work out quite like he hoped it would. He tried doing what his father had done by scattering the powder into the flames, and stepping forward; the fire felt like a nice warm breeze; he opened his mouth and immediately swallowed a lot of ash.

"D-Dia-gon Alley," he coughed.

After much spinning, Harry felt himself get shot out of a fireplace into a shop that he didn't recognize but he was sure was not in Diagon Alley

An older man whom Harry guessed was probably the shopkeeper came up to him.

"Boy" He barked at him "What are you doing coming into my shop".

Harry looked at the shopkeeper with trepidation "I'm sorry sir" He apologized "I Was meaning to floo to Diagon Alley".

"Well if you wanted to go to Diagon Alley you should have gone to the Leaky Cauldron, "The shopkeeper told him"Your parents should have told you that".

"Uh yeah, I forgot that, "Harry said nervously.

"Speaking of which where are your parents"The shopkeeper looked at him suspiciously.

"They wanted me to go get some stuff here" Harry was nervous this wasn't supposed to happen.

"Your lying, "The shopkeeper said looking into Harry's eyes.

Harry looked at him startled.

"You're not supposed to be here are you Potter" he smirked.

Harry looked up at the man scared "How do you know my name, sir".

"That's for me to know and you to fail and find out"He looked at Harry's scared face"Relax boy I'm not going to do anything to you" he reassured Harry"Out of all of the shops you could have arrived in mines is probably the safest".

"Harry blinked"Excuse me, sir, where I am now".

"Knockturn Alley" He replied.

Harry blanched that was not good.

"Don't worry you're fine here" He told Harry"I am Mr. Isaac Patterson I sell wands just like Ollivander does in Diagon Alley"

Harry nodded that made sense.

"I was one of the few people in Knockturn who was not a Death Eater during the war so I hold nothing against you or your family for Voldemort's Demise".

Harry then divided, to tell the truth, he guessed Mr. Patterson already knew somehow.

"I wanted to explore Diagon Alley Mr. Patterson" Harry explained, "Get a feel of the area and learn a bit more about magic before I left for Hogwarts".

"I can tell you have a thirst for knowledge Mr. Potter"The old shopkeeper smiled at him "I can help you with a bit of that if you want".

"Really" Harry was surprised by his generosity "You would be willing to do that for me".

"You have potential boy" Harrison explained, "I can sense that in people and I feel like it would be worthwhile to help your talent blossom and grow".

Harry smiled at his good luck "I would love that sir if you could help teach me a few things".

"I would be glad to help"Mr. Patterson looked at the clock "What time do your parents get home Harry".

He looked at the clock and realized saw that his mom would be getting home from work in about half an hour.

"Mom should be getting home soon," Harry told him.

"All right"Harrison replied, "How would you like to come back soon and I can show you some stuff that you can help out with".

Harry was surprised "Me help you out," he asked.

"Sure," Harrison said "It's about time that I get a shop assistant"."You can also have your first experience with receiving a salary".

Harry could not believe his luck an opportunity to learn new stuff and get paid for it.

"I think I can come back on Friday sir," Harry told him.

"That would work "He nodded "Friday at 8 then".

Harry nodded in agreement.

"All right," Mr. Patterson then turned to his fireplace "Use that powder to get back to Potter Manor and you can call out Pattersons Wand Shop to get back here," he told Harry.

"Thank you sir" Harry enthusiastically told the man before heading back to use the floo to get back home

After he arrived back in the front entryway seeing no one else around Harry quietly snuck back to his room.

June 1985

Harry was laying in bed feeling exhausted after a long day at work. He had now been working for Mr. Patterson for about a month now and had already made over fifteen hundred galleons working for the old work had so far been quite interesting with Mr. Patterson having Harry be his own personal assistant which had caused a lot of people to look at him with what he saw as a bit of shock and surprise at his young age.

So far his assistant duties had mainly entailed taking notes of what Mr. Patterson had said about peoples measurements and magic types so they could choose wands for them,the job also entailed a lot of manual work like sorting supplies as well as polishing the wands where Harry hoped he would be able to find a want that was suitable to him and his style

Another thing about this past month that made him feel sad and a little bit resigned is how little anyone in his family seemed to notice his disappearances every day but he realized that that was something that he was quickly getting used to by now.

As he began to drift off he smiled at how much his life had turned around this past month with him now having a source of income outside of what he got from his parents and all of the new knowledge that he was getting by working for one of the great wizards of the age,


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Potter Manor, England

November 1st, 1985

Harry was excited that to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the downfall of Voldemort the Potter Family had decided to take a vacation to Southern France that he had been looking forward to for weeks. Unlike the rest of his family who had been putting off packing until virtually the last minute, Harry had already been packed and ready to go since Tuesday.

He was very interested in seeing how France was like including several places he wanted to visit when they were in Southern France and visiting a coastal town named Villefranche-sur-Mer which was apparently a popular vacation spot for muggles and wizards alike.

Harry then after grabbing his suitcase he began to descend the stairs stopping briefly to give his stuff to one of the house elf's who would take it to their beach house in France. As Harry the headed downstairs he realized there was Chaos everywhere as everyone was trying to get all of their stuff together so they could catch the portkey on time. that would take them to London where they would use the international floo to travel to France.

He saw his Mom rush out of the kitchen looking quite disheveled calling out to her husband "James do you have all of Max's stuff packed and sent off yet"Lilly hollered to James who was just coming down the stairs.

"Yeah I think so," James told her, "I think Mipsy has everyone's stuff in France now""How long until the Portkey leaves",

"We have to be there in ten minutes "Lilly replied "Is Max up and ready to go"

"I think so, "James said "I'll go check though," he said seeing his wife's anxious face.

"Please do, "Lilly said sounding tense "We can't afford to be late today"

As James turned to go upstairs and check on Max Lilly saw Harry standing there.

"Stuff packed, "She asked him curtly.

Harry nodded in reply

"Good" Lily nodded before turning around to ask one of the house elf's about something involving the trip.

Harry frowned at the lack of attention but he realized that he had been getting a lot of that recently.

James soon came down the stairs accompanied by Max who looked like he had probably just gotten out of bed.

"Max" Lilly scolded "Did you fall asleep again".

"Max yawned "Relax Mum" I planned to wake up at this time".

James looked at him "Than why did I have to wake you up four times this morning".

Max was saved from having to answer any more questions by Lilly interrupting them.

"Come on," She said "We have to leave now if we want to make it to the Portkey on time.

As everyone gathered the stuff they would be carrying with them on the walk Harry could not help but feel a rush of excitement at being able to visit his first foreign country.

As they began to walk as expected Max began to complain.

"Dad" He whined "How much longer is the walk"

"15 more minutes, "Lily said answering for her husband.

"Ugh," Max moaned.

Harry shook his head at his brother's laziness.

Soon they reached a brightly colored shoe on the hill that Harry assumed was the portkey they were going to use.

"What's that Dad," Max asked.

"That son is a portkey" James replied "it will take us to London"

As they reached the shoe Lilly instructed them all to grab the shoe.

When Harry touched the shoe he felt a sudden sinking feeling in his nasal area as they all were condensed and he felt himself being yanked rapidly through the air, before slamming hard on to the ground.

As he tried to organize his thoughts and struggled to get up he could hear further away that he was not the only one that had been disoriented as he could hear his brother loudly complaining.

"Mom" He whined, "Why didn't you tell me that I was going to fall".

"Sorry son" James winced"It takes a bit of time to get used to magical travel".

A black-haired auror approached them from the other side of the auditorium that he realized that they had landed in.

'Hello," The auror approached them "Family name and travel destination".

"Potter Family" Lily turned to talk to the auror "International Floo travel to Paris, France".

"Ah Yes"The Auror looked down at his notes "Potter, Gate 15 at 8:30" He nodded "Right this way please".

As they walked along the corridor to their gate Harry looked around at his surroundings.

The Ministry of Magic seemed to be quite a large building with several statues scattered around the area under which several important looking witches and wizards walked around looking quite busy

They soon reach what looked like a large grated fireplace where they stopped.

"Grate 15, "The Auror said gruffly

"Thank you for your help John," James told the Auror who he apparently recognized now.

"All right Max," Lily said, "You just walk through here and you should come out the other side in Paris".

"This won't be like that Portkey" Max sounded nervous about using magical transportation again a sentiment that Harry shared very much.

"No, it won't "James reassured his son "I'll even go first to show you how it's done".

James then went over to the fireplace where taking a handful of green powder he threw it shouting "Paris" and disappearing in a flash of fire.

Harry and Max looked at the fireplace in shock.

Lily chuckled "Impressive isn't it".

Both of them nodded.

"All right"Lilly guided Max over to the fireplace "Take this powder throw it in the fire and make sure to say in a nice loud voice Paris" she instructed him.

Looking uncertain Max threw the powder in the fire and shouted "Paris" in a shaky voice where he then disappeared in a flash of green fire.

Lilly than turned to Harry "Think you know how to do it now".

Harry nodded quietly before walking up to the fireplace where he did what his brother and dad had done taking a handful of powder which he threw into the fireplace shouting "Paris" in the clearest voice he could muster.

All of a sudden Harry felt like he was being sucked down a giant drain. He began spinning very fast - the roaring in his ears was deafening -he tried to keep his eyes open but the whirl of flames made him feel sick -squinting through his glasses he saw a blurry stream of fireplaces and he snatched glimpses of the rooms beyond - he closed his eyes again wishing it would stop, and then He fell, face forward, onto cold stone.

He looked in front of him and saw that his dad was helping Max up who seemed to be in roughly the same state as he had landed in.

Harry was able to compose himself faster than his brother though and got up without needing any help although he could not get the ringing out of his ears.

After James had helped Max to his feet he saw that Harry had gotten out of the fireplace in one piece he nodded at Harry before looking at Lilly who had just followed him coming out of the fireplace looking like she had gone in one side of the fireplace and came out the other side like she was taking a casual stroll.

"All right everyone here," James said after taking a quick headcount.

They then left the place which Harry had identified as probably being the building of the French Ministry of Magic.

As they got into the street James then hailed what looked like a travel bus.

When they got on James than told the bus conductor "Villefranche-sur-Mer please".

"All right they bus conductor said "5 galleons".

James paid and then they walked to the back of the bus picking several seats to sit down in before the bus started to move.

Lilly than told everyone "It will be a bit of time before we get to the beach house""You might want to get some sleep to pass the time".

Although he didn't feel sleepy Harry felt himself start to drift off after the bus had been moving for a while and he slipped into his dream world.

Harry soon started to wake as he felt the bus start to stop.

He looked out the window and saw that the outside scenery had changed from the packed urban environment of Paris to what looked like to be a sprawling countryside that he assumed was the southern French countryside

"Were here" Lilly said getting up with James.

Harry and Max then followed them off the bus where they saw what looked like a nice beach villa up ahead that they assumed was where they would be staying.

As they got to the front of the house and went inside Harry marveled at how big and fancy the interior of the villa was.

"All right" Lilly turned to the boys "Your rooms are marked upstairs, head on up their yours stuff should be unpacked already and then get some sleep it's late and you can explore tomorrow".

Both of the boys nodded before heading upstairs to find their stuff.

Harry noticed a medium sized door with the engraving Harry P above it. He went inside the room and marveled at how much it felt like his room at home.

Seeing his stuff at the foot of the bed he decided to go over and start unpacking. When he got done and still feeling tired from the long bus ride he decided now would be as good of a time as any to get some sleep so he would be well rested for the next day.

As his head hit the pillow his thoughts were occupied by questions about France, how would the people be, how would the town and environment and most importantly questions he had about a blonde girl that he had been seeing in his dreams recently whom he could swear looked French,would she be here.

Soon all of those thoughts though turned into the blank expanse of sleep.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Villefranche-sur-Mer,France

November 2nd 1985

Harry woke up to see the sun shining through the windows and saw the beach looking back at blinked wait beach and then smiled as he remembered that he was in France waking up and getting dressed he began to wander downstairs where he saw a note downstairs on what he assumed was the kitchen table.

Max your father and i have left for the beach you can go have fun but be sure to be back by dinner-Love Mom.

He then looked to the magical clock that was standing slightly off to the side of the main entryway and saw the clock read 8:30.

"Wow"He frowned as he realized that his family had already left to explore with not as though that was a unknown feeling over these past few months and then he perked up a bit realizing that he had nine hours to explore France and see what he wanted.

Deciding to get a early start on the day Harry started to leave the villa before stopping and remembering that they had brought maps that would probably be good to have.

Entering the main room he started to look through the joint bag that they had brought along he located the map of the city.

Before they had came here Harry had taken it upon himself to gain a rudimentary understanding of French so he could have a basic conversation with the locals and so that he could read the map that was written mostly in French.

As he then began to leave the house he looked down at the map and decided to head towards a district of the city called the Rue de la Nourriture which he could tell had something to do with food which seemed nice enough.

Harry looked around in wonder at the sights that he passed as he walked down the winding streets of the city seeing all of the ancient looking buildings.

As he walked around he saw many other young kids exploring various places who Harry guessed where probably in the same situation as him with their families having gone on vacation and probably left them to explore on their own while they enjoyed the beach.

He stopped in front of a shop that he recognized as a place that sold ice cream and quite good ice cream by the looks of he stood inside he gazed at all of the people inside lined up to buy ice cream which made sense since it was so bloody hot outside.

Harry then decided to walk over and start standing in he was waiting to order he started thinking about how nice it was that Mr Patterson had been paying him for his work since he realized that his parents had "forgotten"to give him any spending money for France and he really did not want to have to ask them for any.

When he finally was able to order he got a large ice cream that was chocolate and raspberry flavoured with chopped grabbing his sweet treat and fleeing the crowds of sugar crazy children Harry left the store and started to head to a series of tables that he identified across the way.

As he began to walk and drift into thoughts he did not realize that he was not watching where he was going anymore.

All of a sudden he felt another body impact his own and before he could realize it he could feel them falling slowly he saw baby blue eyes gazing back at him in shock as their bodies hit the ground and his ice cream splattered all over her dress.

The two of them looked at each other in shock before the girl under him reacted to his actions "_vous porcs pourquoi ne pouvez-vous pas regarder où vous allez je viens de recevoir cette robe la semaine dernière_" you swine why can't you watch where you are going i just got this dress last week she told him angrily.

"_je suis tellement désolé, je ne cherchais pas où j'allais mademoiselle_" i'm so so sorry,i wasn't looking where i was going miss Harry profoundly apologized to her using some of the french that he knew

The girl then looked Harry in the eyes and gasped "_mon dieu ces yeux_" my god those eyes she gasped.

Harry was Confused "_excuse moi est quelque chose de mal avec mes yeux_" excuse me is something wrong with my eyes.

The girl than shock her head as to clear thoughts that had been worrying her "_ce n'est rien tu es français ou anglais"_it's nothing are you french or english.

"_Anglais"_English he replied.

"_Vous parlez si bien français"_ you speak such good french though sounding impressed.

Harry blushed "_Eh bien, j'ai pratiqué le français un peu avant mon arrivée ici_" well i practiced french a little bit before i came here he responded.

Before she could reply they were interrupted by some other people walking past them and blushing as they realized that they where still laying on the ground where Harry had grabbed her around the waist to prevent her from hitting the pavement hard and was still holding on to her.

They both immediately separated from each other and stood up in a hurry.

"_Pardon"_ Sorry Harry said.

"_c'est ok pas de mal"_ it's ok no harm done she shrugged than blushed "_c'était sympa_"It was nice".

Harry extended his "_Ravi de vous rencontrer bien que mon nom soit Harry, Harry Potter"_Nice to meet you though my name is Harry,Harry Potter he told her

The girl than took his offered hand"_Ravi de vous rencontrer Harry je m'appelle Fleur, Fleur Delacour"_ Nice to meet you Harry my name is Fleur,Fleur Delacour she told him with a bright smile on her face.

Harry grinned "What a pretty name that is".

Fleur than blushed and replied "Why thank you Arry you're quite pretty yourself".

He gawked at her "You know English"He asked dumbfoundedly.

Fleur giggled at him "You know French"She pointed out "I know Eenglish we both surprised each other".

Harry nodded and than looked down and saw the ice cream that had spilled on her dress and blanched.

"Do you want help with that"He asked.

"How"She asked curiously "There is nothing around here for you to clean it with and were two young to be using magic yet".

Harry smiled time to put the magic that he had been studying to good use now.

He reached down and channeling energy to his fingers he silently muttered _Spargant in Elit._

Fleur looked in astonishment as the ice cream disappeared and her dress returned to normal.

She gave him a quick hug at his impressive display of magic without a wand something that she had not even seen her parents do that often.

Harry blushed and let out a little chuckle "Your welcome Fleur"

Fleur looked down at his empty ice cream "Aww Arry your ice cream is all gone".

He looked down and saw that he did basically have no ice cream left in his bowl"That's fine Fleur its nothing".

She frowned "Non we can get you more ice cream and i can get some for myself i was heading over there anyway"pointing not to the building that he had just left but to another ice cream shop and few buildings down from the other one.

Harry smiled and decided to follow Fleur into the ice cream shop she had showed him where they both got ice cream to eat for the rest of the that Fleur took it upon herself to walk Harry around the town and took quite joy it looked like in dragging him around so she could show him all of the things of interest.

Soon as they were walking around and having fun the time seemed to fly by until he heard the church bell ring signalling it was four o clock.

Looking at the clock in shock at how fast the time had passed he turned to Fleur "Sorry Fleur but it's getting close to dinnertime and my parents want everyone to be back by then".

She nodded understanding "Its ok Arry my parents want me to be back soon to".

He gulped "I had a lot of fun today Fleur i hope i can see you again".

She smiled back at "Oui Arry we can meet in the town square tomorrow if you want".

Harry though for a second "Yes i think that can work"he told her.

Fleur smilled "Ow would nine work tomorrow then"she asked him.

"That would work"he nodded to her proposal.

Fleur than came and gave him a strong hug before turning to leave but not before wishing him a good night.

Harry than turned to return to villa before he realized that today he had met someone who did not treat him as a unworthy brother of the boy who lived and treated him as a person.

As he arrived back in the villa he saw that everyone else was back and chatting in the dining room although they did not notice him as he passed them which suited with just fine this night as he was still giddy over meeting his new friend.

Fleur then occupied many of his thoughts for the rest of the night as he ate dinner and got gotten ready for he began to drift of to sleep his thoughts were occupied by one last thing.

Fleur is the girl from my dreams.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

November 3rd, 1985

Early the next morning Harry made sure that he woke up on time so that he could be out the door on time to meet Fleur in the Market Square. As he headed downstairs he realized with much satisfaction that his morning plans had worked perfectly as he heard the rest of his family leave the house.

Deciding not to take the map this time since he figured he had gained a decent understanding of the city planning from Fleur yesterday he left through the front door and began to walk. As he passed the ice cream shop he had visited yesterday and smiled as he remembered their little collision incident yesterday that he thought would have gotten him in trouble but had instead led to him getting a friendship that he hoped would last for a very long time.

As Harry started to arrive at the Market Square he smiled as he saw Fleur standing by looking into a fountain and not paying much attention to what was going on around her. Harry smirked and started to walk up to Fleur trying to be as quiet as he could be.

Reaching her and trying to be quiet he came up and "Hello Fleur how are you doing today," he asked her.

She jumped to her feet before spinning around to face Harry with surprise etched over her face.

Then seeing who it was Fleur squealed and jumped into his arms to give him a hug "Arry" She cried.

Harry staggered over in surprise at her eagerness "Hey Fleur" he murmured "You seem happy today".

She smiled "Of course silly I always enjoy meeting a friend"

Still shocked at her greeting Harry grinned as he thought that either Fleur was very affectionate to her friends or he was a very lucky man.

Getting off of him Fleur began to speak "Arry I think I forgot to ask you yesterday but how long will you be staying here".

"We plan on staying here for a week longer and then leaving back for England on the tenth, "He told he realizing with a pang that they won't be able to communicate as much when he goes home.

Fleur paused in contemplation for a second "Arry would you like to come over to the villa my family is renting it's about a mile away from here".she asked him hope spread across her face.

Surprised but more than happy to go along with her idea Harry answered in the affirmative and began to follow her down the street his heart beating rapidly at what was going on.

As they began to walk Harry blushed as he realized that Fleur had grabbed his hand to guide him along the way to her place but figured there was no harm done and happily allowed himself to be lead around.

Walking along the street they blushed as people commented on them being a cute couple that caused Harry to stutter like an idiot and Fleur surprisingly despite blushing so much that she looked like a ripe tomato said very little about their current situation.

Soon after walking for what felt like at least a mile they arrived at a small villa that looked not much larger than his own but still quite impressive to look at.

As Fleur led him into the beach villa he took a few seconds to gaze at the insides of the building realizing that even though it was the same size as the Potter Villa when you stepped inside it was like walking into a mini palace.

The Villa felt very welcoming from the open door to the wide hallway. The floor was an old-fashioned parquet with a blend of deep homely browns and the walls were like the greens of summer gardens that meet a bold white baseboard. The banister was a twirl of a branch, tamed by the hand, it's grain flowing as water might, in waves of comforting woodland hues.

Fleur let out a small laugh at Harry's impressed look "Pretty iz it not".

Harry nodded still amazed at how much more impressive her place was than theirs.

She then turned and motioned for him to follow her into a large room that Harry assumed was the dining room and kitchen.

Inside the room sat a beautiful blonde woman in long, leaf green robes, heavily swollen with child and who Harry assumed was Fleur's mother. Next to the woman was someone whom Harry assumed was then Fleurs father who was nowhere near as attractive as his wife; he was a head shorter, with a little, pointed black beard. However, he looked good-natured enough.

Harry gulped he did not expect that he would be running into Fleurs parents so early in their friendship although he figured he would meet them eventually.

The woman sitting on the couch looked up and saw Fleur and Harry approach.

"Fleur," She said rising and warmly greeting her daughter

"C'est l'ami que vous avez rencontré hier""This is the friend you meet yesterday.

"Oui maman" yes mom Fleur told the woman "c'est harry potter" This is Harry Potter".

"potier hein" Potter eh" The man turned to Harry "S'il te plaît, dis-lui Fleur que c'est agréable de rencontrer le garçon don't ma fille ne cesse de parler""Please tell him Fleur that it is nice to meet the boy who my daughter keeps talking about, "he asked her.

"Merci monsieur mais je parle français" thank you, sir, but I speak French"Harry said bowing respectfully to the older man.

"il parle français"He speaks French the woman sounded impressed "tu n'es pas Anglais"aren't you English though".

"oui je me suis appris madame" yes I taught myself ma'am" Harry responded.

"Impressionnant" "Impressive" She Muttered "Vous n'avez pas besoin d'être aussi formel avec nous bien qu'un ami de Fleurs soit un ami à nous""You don't need to be that formal with us though any friend of Fleurs is a friend of ours"smiling "Je m'appelle Apolline Delacour et voici mon mari Sebastian"My name is Apolline Delacour and this is my Husband Sebastian" Introducing her and her husband.

"c'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer tous les deux" "it is a pleasure to meet you both"Harry said.

Appoline gave a small smile before gasping.

"mes excuses Harry" My Apologies Harry" Sebastian turned to his wife and then back to Harry "Ma femme est enceinte avec une petite fille et nous traversons une période difficile, nous devons donc vous laisser explorer tous les deux" "My wife is pregnant right now with a baby girl and we are undergoing a rough patch right now so we must leave you two to explore"he said before turning to help his wife to the kitchen.

Harry turned to Fleur "You are going to be a big sister soon" he said to her in a little bit of surprise.

Fleur nodded "Oui she should come sometime in December" shanking herself and then turning to face Harry "Come Arry I want to show you some stuff I have in my room".

After following Fleur up the stairs to her room he admired how much her place was like a royal bedchamber and so much bigger than his own he was interrupted by Fleur calling him over to look at something in one of the corners of the room.

They spent the rest of the day then laying around in Fleurs room doing various games she had and talking about a wide range of topics before Harry had to head back to the Potter Villa for dinner but not before getting another promise from Fleur to meet the next day.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

November 10th, 1985

For the next week, Harry enjoyed spending most of his time with his new friend Fleur Delacour. She finished showing him everything worth seeing in the town although Harry found it hard to pay attention to what she was saying when he was being dragged around the city. Eventually, though his thoughts were drawn to other things of the day when the potters would head back to England and what that would mean for his new friendship.

Fleur and Harry were sitting on a park bench after having spent most of the day before Fleur turned to him

"Arry," She said "Aren't you leaving later today" sounding quite sad while doing so.

Harry nodded silently feeling his chest contract at the reminder "Yeah we leave after dinner at 5"he told her.

Fleur nodded "We have to exchange our addresses then so that we can still continue to talk even after you return to England".

He couldn't agree more ecstatic for the first time in his life to have a friend that he could owl back home.

Fleur than took a piece of paper from her pocket and scribbled an address on it that before handing it to him.

Looking at it he saw the address for Chateau Delcour written on it and then he took the pen that she had been using to scribble down the address for Potter Manor on another piece of paper she gave him before handing it back to her.

She nodded looking at the piece of paper before putting it away in her pocket and turning to Harry again.

"This time has passed by so fast Arry" She murmured "I don't know when I'll be able to speak to you in person again".

That was the statement that had been troubling Harry and from what it looked like Fleur too for some time now but Harry worked his hardest to have an aura of confidence

"Don't worry"Harry told her in his most confident vote "I'm positive that we will be able to meet up sometime in the future and until then owls can suffice".

Fleur gave a small smile "Oui I look forward to that time to come and your right until then I suppose Gabe will be having quite a workout non".

Raising an eyebrow "Gabe" he asked.

"My owl, "she told him "Do you have one".

Harry was then hit with the realization that he would need to get an owl when he got back to England or use one of the family owls which he did not trust.

"No," he told her "Parents never got me one" but then adding "I can still use one of the family owls though or go buy one myself".

"Your parents would give you money for your own owl," Fleur asked skeptically remembering what he had told her about his family so far.

"No" He replied, "I can pay for one myself using the money i made from working at that wand shop i told you about".

"Oui yes Moisur Patterson, "She asked.

Harry nodded before than noticing that it was near the time when he had to be back before the rest of the family left.

"Got to go Fleur, "He said dejectedly.

Sorrow in her eyes she nodded before getting up to give him a quick hug before leaving him with a quick au revoir.

Harry then began to walk slowly back to the beach villa. He had already got his stuff together and sent back to England so he did not have to worry about frantic packing in the last hour before the departure back to London.

Entering through one of the side doors he silently watched as Lily and James were in a frantic rush to make sure that they had not left anything before leaving.

As Lilly than saw Harry come in she nodded in his direction before calling out in his general direction which caused his heart skip a beat before he realized that she had been calling out to Max who was coming up behind him.

"Got everything," She asked the two boys.

Harry nodded in the affirmative and Max gave a quick verbal confirmation before Lilly turned to talk to one of the house elves about something.

Turning to head upstairs Harry looked through some of the rooms in the place that now that he was having a second look did seem halfway decent although nothing beats the style of a French Villa especially one built for the Noble House of Delcour.

He took a second to look out one of the windows on the second floor as he looked outside at the clusters of people walking outside on the streets and enjoying their vacations and contemplating how fast his time among them had come to an end

The trip had definitely been one to remember as he went over all the places he and Fleur had seen and how great of an idea it was to learn French before coming here that turned out to help him more than he ever could have imagined

His thoughts than wondered to his new friend Fleur Delacour someone who for the first time in his life treated him like someone not living in the shadow of his famous brother but as someone with their own ideas thoughts and someone who asked him about his own fears and concerns something that frightened and excited him tremendously at the same time.

Looking ahead at the future he could not wait to get back to England and get an owl to start communicating to Fleur with and then thanking the gods for the money from Mr. Patterson so he could pay for and not have to rely on charity from his family.

He was then interrupted from his musings by his mom calling everyone downstairs so they could catch the bus on time.

Letting out a deep breath and sparing one last glance outside at the street he began to walk down the hall and descend the stairs in the direction of his mother's voice and their ride home away from here.

**Authors Note**

Replying to a few Reviews

KingVegeto I Plan for the Delacour Family to be very friendly to Harry and the Potters will ignore him for many more years until their minds end up changing when it is already too late

Qarz I am well aware that 8-Year-olds don't really blush at that ages I just added that in to give it the story extra emphasis

DracosNotThatBad Yes I intend that Harry and Fleur will end up competing against each other in the Triwizard Tournament although that will not be happening for another 20 to 30 chapters though

EmlynMara 1 Harry is having dreams of a young Voldemort that he started having after the attack on Godric's Hollow

2 Mr. Patterson will sort of be like Harry's mentor who will provide him with knowledge and money that he will use to build himself a life after school without money from the potters.

Brodylopa I'm trying to work out a way to emphasize the French issue

I understand the issue though and am working on it


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

England

December 25th, 1985

Harry laid in bed silently thinking about how the past month and a half had turned out ever since getting back from France.

Soon after getting home he had focused on finding an owl and a safe way of communicating with Fleur that would not be accidentally read by anyone in his family or any of the house elf's that could show them.

A week after he started work for Mr. Patterson again who was very interested to hear about his travels for some reasons.

"You said Delcour was her name right," Isaac asked him.

"Yes," Harry responded "Fleur Delacour".

"And did you manage to find out what her parents names whereby any chance," Mr. Patterson said while stepping to take the measurements of a wand.

"Appoline and Sebastian, "Harry told him.

Isaac chose not to say anything then but turned to give Harry a wand to polish while looking deep in thought.

"Sir, " Harry asked, "Is the Delcour name a significant one then".

Seeming to be deep in thought the old wand maker gave a small nod "Possibly" he muttered, "I will need to check that but I think I remember meeting Sebastian Delcour during the war I think but I will have to check a few things on that".

Harry wondered what his mentor knew about his new friends family but decided to drop the subject after seeing that Mr. Patterson was unlikely to say what was on his mind and they had work to do anytime.

The voice of a customer then came from further in the front of the Shop "Hey Mr. Patterson you here" a loud booming voice rang out.

"Ahh, Theodore my friend" Mr. Patterson turned to walk to the front of the shop and Harry followed him to fulfill his assistant duties his mind still running about many different things.

Soon thoughts about the Delacours escaped his mind as Harry became consumed with the workload of a high business day with people wanting to buy lots of stuff for the holidays.

He then realized that he needed to get an owl soon and look for a Christmas gift for Fleur although he realized that that that would be hard to do while there was so much business at the shop.

"Didn't you say you were trying to find a way to communicate with your friend in France?"Mr. Patterson asked him during a lull in their workload.

Harry nodded confused about what he could be going on about.

"I Think I may have something to help you with that," Mr. Patterson said, "Just remind me to give it to you before you head home".

Thoroughly confused Harry nonetheless agreed before the two of them got back to work.

In what seemed like a blink of an eye or another six hours the shop closed for business and Harry turned to go home before he was stopped by Mr. Patterson who was holding what looked to be two old books.

Looking at the books in his hands Harry asked what they were.

Mr. Patterson gave a small smile "You remember one of my business associates that came in earlier Mr. Malfoy.

He nodded remembering the blonde man who had come in and spent much time talking with Mr. Patterson in one of the side rooms leaving poor Harry to help a rush of people that had chosen to come in at that moment.

Turning to the books in his hand Mr Patterson handed them to Harry "Well these are two communication books"he explained "If two people have these no matter how far they are from each other they will be able to write to each other as if they are sitting right next to the person and not hundreds of miles away.

Harry felt his heart jump a beat "You mean I can use these to write to Fleur then "he asked.

"Yes" nodding Mr. Patterson than handed him a tome.

Looking at it Harry saw the name The History of the Veela Race.

Raising his eyebrow "Veela" he asked.

"Read it and it will make sense"He replied "It pertains to the Delcour Family" and then looking at the clock "Good work today head home and I'll see you on Friday".

Harry nodded before taking his gifts and stepping in the fire to go home.

In the Weeks after getting home Harry had also received his first letter from Fleur one day as he was getting ready to go to work he saw an owl fly in the house and land on the table.

Taking the letter off the owl he saw the name Harry Potter on it that he easily recognized was written in Fleurs delicate handwriting.

He then took the letter off the owl before getting the little bugger a treat and taking the letter upstairs to his room where he put it in a place where no one would run into it as he had to head back down the stairs to floo to Mr. Patterson's place.

With a long day at work then and then having Remus and Sirius come over for dinner he was not able to get to his room and read the letter Fleur had written until much later in the day.

Sitting down on his bed he carefully undid the envelope to read her letter making sure not to crumple or wrinkle anything.

Harry looked down and began to read Fleurs delicate handwriting.

_Dear Arry._

_I hope this letter reaches you safely and that the owl was able to make the journey successfully._

_How has your time back in England been, ow have your parents been around you recently and how has your work been recently with Moisur Patterson it seems like a very interesting job to be doing_

_It has been interesting coming back to our ome near Paris it feels like it has been years since we ave been here but it is ome nonetheless._

_My Maman is getting close to giving birth and it is a very tense time now as we are all holding our breaths._

_How are you doing back ome. I miss being able to talk face to face with a good friend of mine and I hope that we will be able to visit each other sometime in the future._

_Also, have you gotten a new owl like you wanted to? The owl that delivers this letters name is Gabe and you can use him to send a reply if you so wish._

_Best wishes Arry _

_Fleur_

Harry blinked before reading the letter a few times and then standing up.

He had not had the time yet to visit Diagon Alley to get an owl and was not sure now that he thought about it on where he could keep an owl in the manor without getting the attention of any of his family.

Looking at the long distance communication book that Mr. Patterson had given him earlier he decided that it would be a good Christmas gift to give to Fleur.

Finding some wrapping paper in one of the nearby rooms then he began to wrap it up so that he could send it off with a letter on one of the Owls

Thinking about how nice it would be to write to Fleur without having to worry about sending messages that could be seen by others.

Then a thought came to his head about why Mr. Malfoy had given Mr. Patterson the journals but figured that if Mr. Patterson had given them to him to use with Fleur than he must have trusted that they were safe to use and thus he should not worry about them either.

Heading down the stairs then Harry snuck by his family silently on his way to the barn shed where the owls were kept and went up to one of the owls Barney.

"Hey Boy," Harry said ruffling Barney's feathers "Up to carrying a package to France for me"

Barney hooted before cuffing Harry on the ear as to ask him "Really".

Laughing Harry then tied the package to Barney's leg before showing him the address on where to go.

The owl hooted happily before flying away.

Harry then turned back towards the house and thus back to his room.

Early in the Morning on Christmas Harry woke up with a mixture of excitement and comprehension that despite over the past four Christmas he had gotten nothing from his parents and had thus given them nothing but he was interested in what Fleur got him and what she had thought of his gift.

Getting dressed quickly and heading down the stairs he saw that his parents and brother were not awake yet which made sense since they normally did not get up until around eleven or twelve on the weekends even on a special holiday like today.

Hearing an owl hooting he looked up and saw Gabe flying down carrying a package and a small letter.

Smiling at Fleurs owl he happily took the packages of the owl who hooted before grabbing a slice of bacon of the table and taking off.

Taking the package and letter upstairs on to his bed he sat down and started to read the letter from Fleur.

_Thank you so much, Arry_

_I really appreciate your gift and will try contacting you around eight in the morning on Christmas when I wake up._

_My gift I feel is not as good but I gave it my best shot._

_Hope you like it_

_Fleur_

Harry turned to then unwrap the gift that Fleur had gotten him.

It was a photo of Fleur and Harry when they had visited a portrait studio in France, the photo showed them standing behind a starlight background with them holding their hands up as to surround a star with both picture Harry and Fleur smiling at the camera.

Looking down he saw a small not

_To remember me by_

_Fleur _

Smiling he saw the journal he had started to glow indicating that Fleur was trying to contact him. Opening it up he saw Fleur scribbling a greeting.

"Hey" he scribbled "Glad this works"

"Oui" She replied, "It is a great gift".

"Yeah, my boss gave me it, "Harry wrote.

"It was a real surprise to get your gift yesterday," She wrote, "I was thinking about showing the journal to my father if you are fine with it".

Harry gave it a quick thought "Yeah I don't see a problem with that" he wrote

He then saw a small drawing of a heart appear on the page before she gave a quick thanks.

She then wrote asking him on how he was doing.

Harry smiled and then continued to chat with Fleur for most of the remainder of the day.

**Authors Notes**

1 I plan on posting chapters maybe once a day hopefully but at the very least I hope to get done a 1,100 to 1,600-word chapter done every 1 to 3 days

2 If you speak French im trying my best with translator apps to write text in French but i'm not perfect so I'm sorry if that parts a little bad


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

July 1st, 1986

Isaac Pattersons Wand Shop

"Wand Number 4564 Birch with a unicorn core, "The Old WandKeeper of Knockturn Alley Isaac Patterson said turning to his assistant the young Harry Potter.

Harry nodded while taking the measurements that his boss Mr. Patterson told him to write down while his mind as was quite common for the young wizard began to drift off to other places.

He now had been working for the eccentric shopkeeper for over a year now and in that time had made a good amount of money while doing so that he intended to save for the most part.

It was a good job that was for sure he got to meet a lot of interesting people who came in to do business in their shop as with the man that Mr. Patterson was currently conversing with.

A Dark-haired man with an unreadable expression was currently talking with Mr. Patterson who had let him know that his name was Cyrus Greengrass head of the Noble House of Greengrass.

"Did you hear Isaac"Cyrus told his mentor "They have finally found Rockwood hidden out in Greece for the past six years".

"Oh," His mentor replied, "I remember him during the war he didn't seem like someone that could pull off a successful escape for so long".

"Indeed" The grizzly warrior replied, "He will be put on trial in France though next month for his inexorable war crimes he helped to commit there".

"Yes," Mr. Patterson sighed and stopped polishing the wand he was working one "I'm glad all of those people are getting what they deserved for all of the pain and suffering they caused" his voice sounded choked.

Cyrus seemed confused for a second and then his eyes softened "Oh Yes I remember" he said, "Didn't Rockwood Kill Your Wife during the war" he asked.

Isaacs' voice was hard "I still remember clearly March 23rd, 1979, She was killed by Rockwood and his gang during one of their bloody attacks on Liverpool"He sounded frustrated at that memory.

Harry was shocked as he heard that piece of information that would explain why the old wand maker was so against the Death Eaters.

Cyrus let out a sigh "Well I hope it hopes that Rockwood will probably face a life of prison for his crimes" and then with a sigh of relief "By Merlin may he rot in there for life"He muttered.

"The bastard should be killed not stuffed in prison for a couple of years" Mr. Patterson spat angrily "The Justice system has severely screwed up our system of justice and equality" he muttered.

"Be as that may? "Cyrus told him "In France as long as the Minister Sir Caulaincourt is still in charge the French will continue to follow his system of justice".

"I know that, "Mr. Patterson said calming down into a more settled state "I don't have to like it though".

"I like The near leader of the Opposition Party Moisur Delcour, "Cyrus told him.

Mr. Patterson raised an eyebrow "Something happened to Leader Brisot" He asked.

"Delcour beat him in the parliamentary race after the spring elections," Cyrus told him.

Sucking in a breath "That's impressive Jacque Brissot has been the leader of the opposition for nearly a decade now hasn't it been" his mentor spoke.

"And did not manage to get much done during that time either"Cyrus snorted "Especially during the bloody war".

"Delcour eh, "Mr. Patterson thought "I believe his daughter is a friend of my new assistant".

"You finally got yourself an assistant Isaac," Cyrus said surprised "I didn't think you still had the years left in you".

Isaac rolled his eyes "I'm not that old Cyrus" he muttered, "I've got a few good decades left in me".

Cyrus laughed "Relax my Friend I'm just teasing you" and then looking around "Can I meet the young man who's finally gotten through to this old man" he joked.

Rolling his eyes at his friends jokes he turned and waved his wand in Harry's direction up on the second floor;

Harry yelped as he felt himself began to float down the bottom floor and where Isaac and Cyrus were standing.

Mr. Patterson then turned back to Cyrus "My Friend meet my new assistant for the time being Mr. Harry James Potter" giving a short little bow.

Harry gave a soft chuckle before turning to meet Mr. Greengrass and ignoring his mentor whom he was still peeved at how he had levitated Harry through the building.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Greengrass" Harry shook the man's hand "I'm Harry Potter".

"Impressive" Cyrus muttered "Well Isaac I think you chose a very interesting assistant"Looking up and down Harry "I would think that you will be quite the handsome man in the future boy," he said.

Harry was quite startled but also quite happy at the older man's comments "Thank you, sir, I appreciate that".

Mr. Greengrass frowned "Oh None of that Harry," he said "You're a friend of Isaacs so your a friend of mine then "smiling "Please just call me Cyrus when we are in an informal setting like this".

Harry nodded and did his best to relax in the company of the older wizard.

Cyrus nodded and turned to Isaac to talk again.

"I'm sorry I have to go home now, "Cyrus told them "My wife is exhausted from taking care of our daughter Astoria and I promised I would help out a bit".

Harry and Isaac nodded before seeing Cyrus out the door where he then disappeared with a crack.

Mr. Patterson then turned to Harry "Well did you like meeting Cyrus than Harry" he asked

He shrugged "He seemed nice enough" Harry replied.

Mr. Patterson then gave Harry a hard look "Harry you know it's not a good thing in life to make it a habit to listen in on people's conversations" he said looking at Harry with a stern face on.

Harry responded with embarrassment "Sorry sir I just heard you two talking and wanted to hear what was going on" he said.

Mr. Patterson than seemed to breathe in and relax before speaking again "This time it wasn't so much of an issue Harry but you need to remember that in the future if you keep trying to overhear conversations it can result in bad things happening".

Harry nodded mutely at what his Mentor was saying.

"Time to go, "Mr. Patterson said looking at the clock.

Harry than agreed that that was probably a good idea before heading into the fireplace to go home.

**Also some notes**

KingVegeto Hedwig will appear later on in the story

Dante Ouma I Gave Fleur an accent in her writing since I liked how it looked I supposed

I am a fan of some of the really long couple hundred thousand words fanfiction but by god, I could never write anything that long.

Grounded Forever The town that they went to in France was a magical settlement


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

July 31st, 1986

Potter Manor, England

It was his birthday Harry realized as he awoke with a startle. He turned to look at his magical clock and saw that it was 12 o'clock and heard noise coming from downstairs.

Getting up and opening the door he paused to look out the door and down the stairs. Confused at why there were house elves and people running around the house like they were on fire or something. He then remembered with a groan that his parents were holding a large birthday party for his brother with a lot of their family friends, political figures and their children would be coming over.

Turning back into his room he decided that it was not worth it and decided that he would stay in his room for the remainder of the day.

He decided to call one of the house elves to give him food "Mipsy" he called out.

The short house elf popped out in front of him "Yes Young Master "she asked.

"Can you get me some food? "Harry asked, "I don't want to intrude on the party".

Mipsy smiled she was one of the few house elves that loved and taken care of Harry a lot more than his brother over the past few years.

"Can do Mr. Potter" Mipsy said, "I can get some food" before disappearing in a pop.

He sighed before turning to his desk and seeing Fleurs journal start to glow.

The Journal that Mr. Patterson had given him last year had been used extensively by him and Fleur to communicate with each other over the past couple of months with Fleur commenting quite constantly on her new baby sister Gabrielle who had been born in January and if what Fleur had been telling him was true then she was proving to be quite the little minx.

Opening up the journal he saw Fleur complaining that she was bored with nothing to do today.

Smiling he replied to her badgering."You got nothing to do this morning either "he wrote.

"Non" She replied, "My parents were up for most of last night with Gabrielle and I have nothing to do".

Harry rolled his eyes at his friend's silliness.

Than her handwriting began to appear again "Has my gift arrived now" she asked.

He had not seen anything arrive for him yet but then Mipsy appeared in front of him.

"Your food Master Harry, "Mipsy said holding a plate out for Harry to take.

"Thank you Mipsy" Harry nodded graciously taking the food"You can go back to help with the party now".

Mipsy than held out a package for Harry to take "Their also be a package for Young Master Harry"Mipsy told him "Owl from France be bringing it here this morning".

From France, he thought. Taking it from Mipsy who then popped away.

Turning back to the journal he opened it. and saw Fleurs dainty handwriting on the page asking him where he had gone.

"I Think my house elf just gave me your gift Fleur," He wrote.

"Oh," She wrote, "That's great timing than".

Looking at the package he began to unwrap it and saw what looked like a blue locket.

Confused he wrote to Fleur"What is it" he asked".

"You found the locket correct," She asked.

He replied in the affirmative.

"Tap it and say my name, "She said.

Confused Harry tapped the locket and said Fleur Delacour.

Harry then stood astonished as the locket began to slowly expand into the size of a small hand mirror that had Fleurs face in the middle of it.

"Fleur," Harry asked astonished "What is this".

She let out a small giggle "Why it's your birthday present silly" she said.

Harry rolled his eyes "I mean what is this locket silly" he asked.

"It is very similar to the journals you got for Christmas,"She said, "I got these from Papa, he said they act for long distance communication where you can talk to others by saying their name into the locket".

Looking at his locket with much interest "These are really advanced Fleur" he asked her "How was your dad able to get them for you".

Fleur smiled "That is a secret for Papa to know and us to fail and figure out," she told him.

Harry groaned, of course, Sebastian Delcour would have access to several cool toys.

Fleur seemed very giddy at the moment "He said that I could have these as a birthday gift for the both of us this year" she said.

"That's awfully nice of him, "Harry said, "These must have cost a fair sickle".

"I suppose so" Fleur shrugged "Anyhow on other topics than how's my Birthday boy doing today," she asked.

Harry let a grin slip onto his face "Pretty good" he said, "Everyone is coming over to the house for Max's birthday and I figured I would spend the day relaxing up here".

"Could you work for your boss"Fleur asked.

Harry shook his head "No he's out of town today for some business in Whales" he responded, "I have been bored out my mind with nothing to do".

"You can talk with me though Arry"Fleur told him.

He smiled "Of course I can Fleur".

"Papa is at work and Mama is busy with Gabby," Fleur said, "So I don't have much to do at the moment either".

That made two of them then Harry thought.

"I guess that makes both of us in the same boat then non," Fleur said.

Harry's jaw dropped "Can you read my mind?" he said astonished at the two of them thinking about the same thing.

Fleur gasped and laughed "Wow really what a surprise, "She said mirth twinkling in her eyes.

They were then interrupted by loud voices drifting up from downstairs from what sounded like the front entryway...

Turning back and looking at Fleurs confused face "The guests have arrived for my brothers birthday party" he explained.

She nodded and let out a soft yawn before quickly covering her mouth.

"Everything ok Fleur, "Harry asked raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry Arry" she murmured "I ave not gotten much sleep recently".

"Gabrielle keeping you guys up a lot," Harry asked sympathetically.

Fleur nodded in the affirmative "Mama is having it worse" she said, "Papa has been busy with work so I have had to help with the baby a lot".

"That's tough," Harry said sympathetically.

"She is absolutely adorable though Arry," Fleur told him "It is Worth the hassle by a long shot".

"That's nice," He said before seeing the bags around Fleurs eyes.

"Are you ok Fleur?"He asked, "You don't look so good".

"I'm good "She murmured before softening her gaze at seeing Harry's concern "I will be fine Arry," she said softly before chuckling "You should see mama right now she looks like a train wreck".

"I'm sure," Harry said.

Fleur than seemed to drop the topic of Gabrielle and continued to talk with Harry about various topics than for the next couple of hours.

He did then not even feel a pang at not being involved in the birthday celebrations going on downstairs this year.


	12. Chapter 11

**Authors Note** I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters or content in it

Also wow 2 chapters in one day I'm on a roll.

Enjoy

Chapter 11

August 1st, 1988

England

The Day after Harry's eleventh birthday he was having an average day at work.

Harry was finishing up some of the last stuff that they had to get done at the shop before Mr. Patterson came up to him.

"Harry," he said "Can I talk to you in the back for a few minutes?" he asked.

"Sure" Harry replied confused "I just have to finish moving these first, "he said gesturing to some supply boxes he was taking from storage to replenish their stock out front.

Mr. Patterson nodded "Ok be quick about it," he said before moving behind one of the shelves

Wondering what his boss could want he hurriedly finished his work before joining Mr. Patterson in their back office.

Harry sat down in one of the chairs to hear what he had to say.

Mr. Patterson let out a sigh "You are heading off to school in a month Harry" he said.

He did remember that he would be starting going to school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and had been a topic that he had been discussing quite often with his friend Fleur.

"I know," Harry said, "I'm not sure how it will work out with me coming here when I'm at school".

Mr. Patterson shook his head "I don't want you coming here too often during the school year Harry you have to focus on your studies".

"Are you sure sir?"Harry asked, "I don't want to leave you with all this work to do for nine months".

Isaac laughed "Harry I have been working this shop for longer than you have been alive," He said, "I think I can handle a few crowds on my own".

Looking at Harry's dejected face Mr. Patterson smiled "You have been a great help these past few years though Harry" He said, "I still intend to allow you to work here during holidays and over the summer if you still want".

Harry smiled "I would very much like that sir".

"I believe that you also have still have to get your things for Hogwarts am I correct" Mr. Patterson asked him.

Harry nodded he still needed to go shopping for his Hogwarts supplies.

"And you're not really sure where to find the supplies are you, "He asked.

Harry did not know where most of the Hogwarts supplies where but he was confused about where this was going.

"I'm closing the shop for the rest of today Harry," Mr. Patterson said, "And then I will help make sure you get all of your school supplies".

Gaping at his generosity "You don't need to do that sir I can find them on my own".

"Nonsense" Isaac waved "Consider this my birthday gift for you this year," he said.

"Are you sure?"Harry said hopefully.

"Yeah come on," Mr. Patterson said gesturing for Harry to follow him.

Harry stood up stunned and slowly began to follow the front of the shop.

Mr. Patterson after they had gotten outside turned to flip the sign at the front of the shop showing that they would be closed for business for the rest of today.

Turning then to Harry "Let's go we only have a few hours before you have to head home" he said.

Harry then began to follow Mr. Patterson down Knockturn Alley an area that he had not explored much in the four years that he had been working at the wand shop for.

They then began to reach the end of the Alley that told Harry that they were entering Diagon Alley

Looking around curiously at the brightly colored shops he shivered as he realized that he preferred the doom and gloom on Knockturn more than here.

Mr. Patterson then turned to Harry "Ok do you have your list of supplies we need to get"he asked.

Harry nodded and unfolded his Hogwarts supply list and began to read out loud.

First-year students will require:

Uniform

Three Sets of Plain Work Robes (Black)

One Plain Pointed Hat (Black) for day wear

One Pair of Protective Gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One Winter Cloak (Black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all student's clothes should carry name-tags at all times.

Books

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

Other Equipment

1 Wand

1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set of glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set of brass scales

Students may also bring an Owl, a Cat or a Toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.

Mr. Patterson nodded after Harry had finished reading "All right i can get you a wand when we get back let's go get your potions equipment first at the Apothecary".

They then went to visit the Apothecary, which while looking fascinating enough from the outside but when you went inside Harry realized that that was probably to make up for its horrible smell,

As Mr. Patterson went up to ask the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry he took the opportunity to look around. They're where Barrels of slimy stuff that stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; and bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling.

Harry felt chills go up his spine it was definitely an interesting place.

"Harry" Mr. Patterson called him over"I need your help choosing your equipment".

Coming over to the counter Mr. Patterson started to ask him questions about what he thought about one thing or another.

He honestly had no idea but tried to give his best help.

Eventually, they picked out all of the potions equipment that he needed it and had it sent back to the shop.

"On to get your books now, "Mr. Patterson said cheerfully turning to head down the street.

Harry never before realized how tall Mr. Patterson was before but he did now as he struggled to keep up with the old man.

They then went and bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where he was astonished at how the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as large stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps covered in silk; along with books full of peculiar symbols and quite a few books with nothing in them at all."

Harry then followed Mr. Patterson to the front desk where his mentor greeted the shop attendant warmly with the two of them giving each other a quick pat on the back.

"Isaac my friend, "The man said, "It's been so long how have you been".

"Not much Percivalle," Mr. Patterson said cheerfully "I'm here today to get the Hogwarts standard first-year books for young Harry here," he said playfully ruffling Harry's hair.

Harry let off a small glare Mr. Patterson before relaxing chuckling at his mentor's antics.

The shopkeeper looked at Harry with interest "Why who is this Isaac I didn't think you had any family left"he asked.

"I don't," Mr. Patterson said: Harry is a good friend of mine and I'm helping him get his school supplies today".

"Well that's awfully nice of you, "The Man Percival Harry thought turned to Mr. Patterson "I'm glad you still are as kind as ever".

Isaac rolled his eyes "The books please" he asked.

"Oh yes," Percival said "Wait one minute I will be back soon," he said turning to head into the back of the store.

Harry turned then to look at all the books around the room in astonishment as Mr. Patterson gave him a bemused smile.

Soon Percival was back carrying a pile of books "Here you are gentleman" He said, "All the books Young Harry needs for school".

"Thank you, my friend," Mr. Patterson said handing over a few coins to him before shrinking them and sending them off to the shop.

"Have a good day?" Percival said as the two of them left the shop".

"I believe that Madame Malkins is by here," Mr. Patterson said to Harry we can get your clothes there".

Harry nodded as he struggled to keep up with his mentor's giant footsteps as they began to approach their next location.

They then reached a large stop that had the name Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions

Engraved above it.

Stepping inside Harry saw that it looked like a clothing shop with several children walking around with their parents watching as they got fitted by a squat witch who was dressed in mauve who appeared to be very friendly

"Madame Malkin" Mr. Patterson called out.

"Isaac" The woman came over "It's been so long since you've been in here how have you been".

"I'm Doing good thank you very much, "Mr. Patterson said "I'm on business today though I have to get robes for Harry to use at Hogwarts next month," he said gesturing to Harry who had come up behind him.

The woman then noticed Harry standing there "Oh who is this" she asked: I was not aware that you and Sarah had any children".

"No," Mr. Patterson said, "He is not my son but is basically one".

She nodded "Well come over here dear so I can get you fitted" she gestured to some rooms in the back.

Harry looked at his mentor in horror was this what shopping with women would feel like.

Mr. Patterson smiled and gave a small wave at Harry "Have fun" he said.

Harry groaned as the older woman led him around and took his measurements in painstaking detail before having him try on different outfits.

Apparently, Isaac had asked Madam Malkin to fit him for several other outfits that were not related to Hogwarts this year so that made the whole process even longer to go through.

Finally, after nearly an hour and a half of trying on various outfits,, Harry came out looking quite shriveled at what he had to go through and followed by Malkin who was giving a sort of predatory grin at his squirming.

Isaac was sitting on one the chairs calmly reading a magazine and raised an eyebrow as he saw Harry and Malkin approach him."Had fun" he chuckled.

Harry just glared at him.

Mr. Patterson laughed before following them to the front counter.

"All right how was the little bugger, "Mr. Patterson asked Madam Malkin ignoring Harry's protests.

"The dear was an absolute charm to be with, "She said smiling as she took the coins from Mr. Patterson for Harry's clothes "Have good day darlings "she said waving at them as they left the store.

Harry glared at his mentor "I am not going through that again" he growled.

Isaac laughed "Just wait you won't be saying the same thing when your french friend wants to go shopping with you," he said chuckling at Harry's expression.

"Ok," Mr. Patterson said "We just need to get you a pet now and I think well be good for the day," he said.

Harry sighed relieved that this would be done soon and he could rest his poor feet.

They next went to an interesting looking shop that Harry saw many cages of pets on display outside. When they went inside he noticed that it was very cramped and noisy with every inch of wall covered by cages. It seemed to sell all kinds of animals Harry saw some poisonous orange snails, a Fire Crab, some sleek black rats, many owls, ravens, and cats of every color,and much more.

Harry was then interrupted by Mr. Patterson gesturing for him to join them at the counter.

"Hello, "A salesman said looking at the pair "What can I do for you today".

"We want to get him a familiar"Mr. Patterson said.

"All right,,"The salesman said "Look around and see if there's anything that catches your eye.

Nodding Harry and Mr. Patterson then turned around to begin to survey the animals on display.

Harry took his time going from pet to pet looking to see what caught his eye. After much searching and not much success, he was about to turn back to Mr. Patterson before he heard a voice.

_"Stupid Humans"_A voice hissed _"Keeping us locked up like this"._

Looking around in shock and not seeing anyone nearby he turned to talk to the snake.

_"You don't like it here I guess"_Harry hissed.

The snake looked up at him in astonishment _"A speaker"_It hissed _"What are you doing here"._

Harry shrugged _"I am looking for a pet"_ he hissed _"You seem interesting"_

_"I am a proud Burmese Python speaker"_ it hissed "I hate this captivity".

_"Would you like to come with me then"_ Harry hissed _"I can take you away from here"._

_"I would much appreciate that Speaker"_The snake replied.

"Harry" A voice came out from behind him.

He turned around and his blood froze when he saw Mr. Patterson standing there with a shocked expression on his face".

Harry stood up "Sir I'm sorry the snake surprised me and I didn't know I was talking to it," he said unaware that he had slipped into Parseltongue.

His mentor shook his head and then looked at Harry curiously "You know Parseltongue: He asked.

Harry nodded not wanting to say anything.

"I'm not upset or anything, "Mr. Patterson said, "I'm not one of those people who see the ability as evil".

Harry looked up in shock.

Turning to the snake "He is quite a beauty Harry" he said "You want to buy it.

"Really," Harry said, "I would love that".

"Sure," Isaac said, "You would have to hide him but I have no problem with you getting him".

_"I can hide on your clothes "_The snake hissed _"That would not be a problem"_.

"He said that he could hide and that that would not be a problem," Harry told Mr. Patterson.

"Ok," he shrugged "Pick him up then and let's go check out".

Harry then went and picked up the snake cage.

The Salesman at the front desk looked at them in shock

"You want the snake," he said surprised '" you don't want to get an owl or anything".

Harry nodded that he wanted to buy the snake.

The Salesman looked at Harry and the snake worriedly as Mr. Patterson paid for the snake.

As they were exiting the store Harry turned to the snake_ "Do you want to get out now"_ he hissed to it".

_"Yes, _speaker_"_ he replied.

Harry undid the cage and the snake slivered out and onto the ground.

"_How would you like to be called Medusa then,"_ Harry asked the snake.

The snake hissed his approval of the name before Medusa slithered up Harry's robes and out of site.

"What did you decide to call him, "Mr. Patterson asked.

"Medusa" Harry replied.

Isaac nodded before indicating for Harry to follow him for the area to go back to the store.

On the way, Mr. Patterson suddenly noticed a shop that caught his attention.

"Excuse me one minute Harry," he said before ducking into the shop.

Confused at what was going on Harry nonetheless sat down on a nearby bench until he got back out of the shop.

Mr. Patterson came out of the shop looking quite cheerful but would not tell Harry or Medusa what he had bought.

Soon in what seemed like the blink of an eye they were back standing in the shop.

"All right, Harry," Mr. Patterson said, "Your stuff should be at home now".

"Thank you very much for today sir," Harry said acknowledging his thanks before going to the fireplace taking a handful of powder throwing it in and saying in a nice clear voice "Potter Manor".with Medusa calmly curled around his waist.

**Authors Note**

Wow I'm surprised I was able to write this much

Harry and Fleur leave for their respective schools next chapter and I'm planning to write that one in a format unlike any I have done so far.

Until next time

Cheers

Patton 44


	13. Chapter 12

**Authors Note** JK Rowling never said how the journeys to Beauxbatons and Durmstrang where like so I made up my own idea of it.

Also, I do not own Harry Potter or anything in it

Chapter 12

September 1st 1988

Paris,France

"You got everything ready Fleur darling" Appoline Delcour called up to her daughter Fleur

"Yes Maman I told you I packed everything last night," Fleur said responding to her mother's constant nagging.

As she was walking down their staircase her father Sebastian Delcour passed her in a bit of a rush.

"Sorry darling," He said and then turning to his wife "Sorry honey I have to go to a meeting at the ministry at ten" Turning back to Fleur "I'm so sorry I can't see you off to Beauxbatons chérie," he said.

"Fleur nodded "It's ok papa," she said sadly "I understand"

Sebastian turned around then before Flooing to the ministry in a bit of a hurry.

Appoline sighed at her husband who had disappeared in the flames before turning back to Fleur.

"You ready to go," She said with a sigh.

Fleur nodded in the affirmative.

"All right the house elf's got your things," Mother told her "Let's go," she said turning towards the fireplace.

Going to and stepping into the mantle place Appoline threw a handful of powder in the Fireplace and speaking in a calm voice "Gare du Nord Station 6 ".

After seeing her mother disappear in a flash of fire Fleur than came up to the fireplace following her motions in roughly the same manner disappearing into the fireplace.

Soon she experienced the gut-wrenching feeling of being pulled through the Floo Network

.She began to spin very fast - the roaring in her ears was deafening, trying to keep her eyes open the whirl of flames started to make her feel sick- closing his eyes wishing the feeling would stop, She fell, face forward, onto a mat that someone had placed on the other end of the fireplace.

Appoline stood in front of her looking down at her daughter with amusement.

Still trying to get the ringing sensation out of her ears she nonetheless graciously accepted her mother's offered hand.

"It's ok," Appoline said, "Magical Travel is an acquired skill".

"I don't know how Arry uses this every day"Fleur moaned "My ears won't stop ringing".

"That will probably fix itself in a few minutes," Appoline said "And Harry probably has gotten used to the Floo over the course of a couple of years of experience," she said.

Realizing that that probably was the case and feeling jealous at how nonchalantly her friend talks about magical travel nowadays Fleur followed her mom away from the fireplace.

Walking down the hallway they came to a brick wall.

Appoline stopped at the wall "Ok Fleur you have to walk through here now" she said.

Realizing that this was the entrance to the Beauxbatons Train Stop Fleur inhaled and took a deep breath before running into the wall and praying that her mom was telling her the truth.

She noticed that they had appeared in what looked to be like a train station crowded with students and their parents making sure they got on the train on time.

Appoline appeared behind her "Move Fleur" She said, "You don't want to block everyone up".

Fleur jumped away from the wall startled at her mother's voice and her own state of distraction.

She then followed Appoline to the entrance to the train.

Her mom then turned to her.

"All right then you get on the train and it will take you to Beauxbatons Fleur," She said, "Charlotte has taken your stuff to your room there".

"Ok," Fleur said "Thank her for me on that" before noticing her mother's sad expression" Mama what's wrong," she asked.

"It's noth," Appoline said before stopping herself mid-sentence "My Little girl is growing up," she said tearing up a bit "I Hope you always remember that one of the hardest times that a parent has to do is watch their children become older".

Fleur felt herself tear up as well and embraced her mother "I'll miss you all" she whispered

"We will look forward to your letters," Appoline told Fleur in her ear.

"Oui," Fleur said, "I will make sure to write as often as possible".

"I would think you would," Her mother told her before noticing the train "You have to go Fleur the train will be leaving soon".

Fleur silently got on the train before turning to wave goodbye to her mother one last time before the train blew to signal everyone to go to their seats.

It was utter confusion as Harry and Mr. Patterson arrived late at King's Cross Station to see Harry off to school.

The morning had been a crazy one with Harry accidentally sleeping in and thus caused quite a bit of a hassle in their plans for the day.

Mr. Patterson had offered to take Harry to the train since his parents were currently "Unavailable" at the moment.

Harry had been woken up early in the morning by a clearly irritated Medusa

"Master you have to get up" He hissed in Harry's ear.

"Get off Medusa" Harry groaned "5 more minutes".

"You should get up if you want to meet your friend on time" The snake hissed in his ear.

Harry then woke up with a startle and looked at his clock.

Crap he had to meet Mr. Patterson at 8:30 and guess what time it was.

This is not good Harry kept thinking as he got ready in a hurry and went downstairs.

Thankfully they had had the foresight to make sure that Harrys stuff had been kept in the shop overnight so they would not have to worry about that hassle.

Harry then went quickly to the fireplace to Floo to the shop.

In his haste, he failed to notice a curious Max Potter staring and gaping at him from the stairwell

When Harry flooed into the shop he was meet by an irritated Mr. Patterson.

"You are an hour late Harry," He said.

"Sorry sir," Harry said bowing his head "I overslept".

"That's for sure" Isaac snorted before turning muttering under his breath about the "Laziness of today's youth".

"How are we getting their" Harry asked.

"Follow me and Floo to the Leaky Cauldron," Mr. Patterson said avoiding Harry's question.

Harry hurriedly followed the shopkeeper whom he saw was carrying his trunk along with him.

Soon they were in the bright and upbeat atmosphere of the Leaky Cauldron not having a second to look around at the place before Mr. Patterson gestured him outside.

"Come, Harry," He said, "We are taking a Muggle Cab to get to the station".

Perking his ears up at that Harry followed his mentor outside the alley where they caught a cab.

Getting in Mr. Patterson said to the Driver "Kings Cross Station Please and Pronto".

"Aye Aye, "The Driver said before starting the vehicle up.

Harry took a few minutes to gaze at the London Scenery that they passed taking a few seconds to relax before being thrown back into the maelstrom when they reached the station.

"Thank you kind gentleman," Mr. Patterson said giving the driver some Muggle Money.

"Stick close to me Harry" Isaac muttered to him "We don't want you to get lost".

Harry nodded trying to stay as close to the older man as he could before gasping as they entered the station.

The whole place was so huge it was crazy as Harry saw a multitude of trains along the tracks some of which were being boarded by a multitude of important looking Muggles.

"Come Harry" Mr. Patterson's voice interrupted his thoughts as he motioned for Harry to follow him.

Harry then hurried to try and keep up with the older man who despite his age was moving exceptionally fast.

Soon before they both knew it they were practically running down the aisles to make sure they made it to the train on time.

Stopping at a brick wall Harry struggled to catch his breath.

"All right," Mr. Patterson said turning to Harry "We have to go through the barrier at Platform 9¾ to get to the Hogwarts Express now".

Looking at the barrier he thought that the old man was absolutely bloody insane but nonetheless took off running at the wall.

He then came out the other end blinking at the fact that he didn't crash into the wall before jumping to the side as Mr. Patterson came up behind him.

Not breaking stride Mr. Patterson walked up toward the train and Harry hurried to catch up with him.

Finally arriving near the train and seeing that they had a few minutes before it left Mr. Patterson turned to Harry.

"All right," He said, "This is it good luck".

Harry nodded remembering what Mr. Patterson told him about the Hogwarts Express.

"You remember the spell I tought you for carrying things right," Mr. Patterson asked.

Harry nodded and calmly took out the holly wand that Mr. Patterson had given him and turning to his luggage he said in a calm voice "Wingardium Leviosa" Causing the luggage to lift off the ground a small amount.

"Good," Mr. Patterson said seeing that the train was getting ready to leave told Harry that he needed to get going.

Harry nodded giving the older man a hug "Thanks for all of your help sir" he whispered.

"Your welcome" Isaac said, "Have fun at Hogwarts and I will see you for Christmas".

Harry then turned to get on the train stopping to give one last wave to Mr. Patterson who was standing at the station grinning and waving like the cat who caught the canary.

Entering the train Harry then began to search for an empty compartment where he could relax in peace and maybe get a nap in if he was lucky.

Eventually, Harry settled into an abandoned compartment in the back of the train settling his stuff in before sitting down.

Yawning as the train began to move Harry let Medusa slither around who had been grumbling the entire time about the bumpy ride.

And then before Harry knew it he drifted off into sleep.


	14. Chapter 13

**Author Note** I decided to split Chapter 12 into two chapters to make it easier to edit

Chapter 13

September 1st, 1988

Scotland

Harry's wonderful sleep was interrupted by someone knocking on the door.

Grumbling and seeing that Medusa was out of sight he stood up to answer the door.

An older boy was standing there wearing what Harry recognized was a Perfects Badge.

"We are almost at Hogwarts," The boy told Harry "You had best be changing into your uniform now".

Grunting his appreciation at the warning Harry looked decided to look out the window at the Scottish Countryside passing by them as he began to change.

It was truly beautiful scenery Harry had to admit as he gazed out but much preferred his nap.

"Are you ready Master" Medusa asked slithering out from one of the floorboards

"As ready as I will ever be" Harry replied.

Soon there was the signs that the train had stopped signaling that they had arrived.

Stepping out off his compartment Harry began to join the clusters of people that were getting off the train.

Looking around seeing that the train station that the had arrived on was much darker than the one that they had gotten on. Harry then decided to follow the crowd to find out where to go.

Up ahead stood a giant man whom Harry guessed was Hagrid from what he had heard from Mr. Patterson and his family.

"First Years over here, First Years over heer" The man called out.

Deciding to head over Harry joined a crowd of students that looked like to be roughly his own age.

"All right do we have all of the First years here," The man asked seeing everyone nod "Ok Hello everyone my name is Rubeus Hagrid and I am the groundskeeper here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," He said

"I will be the one taking you to the castle today," Hagrid told the students "First everyone come with me".

Everyone around Harry began to chatter excitedly as Hagrid led them down a path.

Soon they were at a vast lake where there were a number of boats lined up along the shore.

Curious at what the boats could be used for Harry listened attentively as Hagrid began to speak.

"All right everyone here" Hagrid's voice rose above everyone as the kids fell silent "Ok in order to get to the castle we have to cross the lake," he said.

Harry's mind whirled "Cross the lake how could they do that".

Hagrid than spoke, "Everyone find a boat to get in".

Get in a boat Harry thought and then turned and saw some students start to step in the rowboats.

Shrugging he found a nice big boat to step in to.

Soon he was joined by a dark-eyed girl with black hair and a stout boy with blue eyes.

Harry nodded to the two of them and was encouraged by their apparent friendliness before the boats started to move.

The three of them then looked around in astonishment at how the boats seemed to glide across the lake on their own without any help or mode of movement.

After they had had their share of excitement they all turned to face each other.

Harry decided to introduce himself "Hi I'm Harry," He said.

The two then introduced themselves as Catherine and Joseph. The three of them spent a few minutes chit-chatting before a gasp interrupted them from another boat.

Harry turned around and saw that perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boat reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto the rocks and pebbles

They then clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last on to smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? Hagrid asked

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

'The first'-years, Professor McGonagall,' said Hagrid.

'Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.'

She pulled the door wide. The Entrance Hall was so big you could have fitted the whole of the wand shop in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right – the rest of the school must already be here – but Professor McGonagall showed the first-years into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

Welcome to Hogwarts,' said Professor McGonagall. 'The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.

'The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.'

'I shall return when we are ready for you,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Please wait quietly.'

She left the chamber. Harry swallowed.

How exactly do they sort us into houses?' Joseph asked him.

Before he could answer something happened which made them all jump about a foot in the air – several people behind him screamed.

'What the –?'

He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to each other and hardly glancing at the first-years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying, 'Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance –'

'My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?' A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first-years. Nobody answered.

'New students!' said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them.

'About to be sorted, I suppose?'

A few people nodded mutely.

'Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!' said the Friar. 'My old house, you know.'

'Move along now,' said a sharp voice. 'The Sorting Ceremony Is about to start.' Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

'Now, form a line,' Professor McGonagall told the first-years, 'and follow me.'

Feeling oddly nervous, Harry got into line behind Catherine, with Joseph behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles which were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the Hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.

Professor McGonagall led the first-years up here so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.

Harry looked with curiosity as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first-years. On top of the stool, she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Harry noticed that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said."Haywood, Beatrice!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause -

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Beatrice went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

"Dunn, Elora!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Elora scuttled off to sit next to Beatrice

"Azzolini!,Ashlee "

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Ashlee as she joined them.

" Schaffer, Christopher" went to Ravenclaw too, and "Arguelles, Micheal" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers

"Bole, Lucien" then became a Slytherin

"Boyer, Devin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others, it took a little while to decide. "Lehman, Jacob," the boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Catherine, Weinburgh!"

Catherine went up to the stool and put the hat eagerly on her head.

"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.

The next student "Peregrine Derrick" swaggered forward when his name was called: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Derrick went to join his friends , looking rather pleased with himself.

There weren't many people left now. "Ford" "Hamilton" "Hoffner" and then a pair of twins"Michael and Bruce Hutchinson" and then "Schneider, Glenn" and then, at last - "Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

Harry Potter?"

"As in the brother of Max Potter"

The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. The next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.

Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"

Harry thought, "I would like Ravenclaw," he asked.

"Ravenclaw, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure?

Harry replied in the affirmative

Well, if you're sure - better be RAVENCLAW!"

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Ravenclaw table Harry sat down opposite the ghost in he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.

He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest to him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up. Harry grinned back. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore... Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts.

And now there were only three people left to be sorted. ", Dawson," a Black boy even taller than Joseph, joined Harry at the Ravenclaw table. "Leukart, Kathryn," became a Hufflepuff and then it was Joseph's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"

Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Joseph collapsed into the chair next to him.

Professor McGonagall than rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. Breakfast seemed like ages ago.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Is he - a bit mad?" he asked one of the older students uncertainty.

"Mad?" the older boy airily. "He's a genius but quite a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"

Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.

. Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs, and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding - "

As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, idle chit chat started up

On Harry's other side, two of the older students were talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-"; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing - ").

Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at

the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past McGonagall and straight into Harry's eyes

He recognized the man from hearing James rant about him as Severus Snape Hogwarts potion master

Harry watched Snape for a while longer before turning his eyes.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahern - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now, they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot.

Everybody finished the song at different times

. At last, Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Ravenclaw first years followed one of the perfects through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Harry's legs were like tired again, as he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that the perfect had twice led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries

.Harry was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," the perfect whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves - show yourself"

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked

."Go away, Peeves or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked the perfect

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," the older wizard said, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can really control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are," he said as they arrived at a portrait.

On the door was a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. "I weigh nothing, but you can still see me. If you put me in a bucket, I make the bucket lighter. What am I?"

The perfect answered, "A hole."

The door opened, and the students filed in. The prefects explained where the first years were to sleep and who they would be rooming with, then dismissed them for bed. "Professor Flitwick will hand out schedules tomorrow morning. Good night."

Harry found himself rooming with Joseph, Christopher, and Glenn. While they chattered away, Harry put up his belongings and got ready for bed.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

September 7th, 1988

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Harry James Potter had now been attending Hogwarts for about a week a now and what an interesting time it had been so far as he reflected laying down on one of the couches in the Ravenclaw common room.

The First Day of classes had been interesting enough with his first class of the day being Potions with his fathers arch nemesis Severus Snape that caused him to be sweating heavily as he entered with his new sort of friends Catherine and Joseph or Joe as he preferred to go by.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle and would have been quite creepy enough with the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

Snape, started the class by taking the roll call, and paused at Harry's name but didn't say anything

Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Mr. Pattersons, but they had none of his warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death—if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed that little speech.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Asphodel and Wormwood make a sleeping potion known as the Draught of Living Death sir" Harry replied feeling thankful for the studying Mr. Patterson had made him do.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Let's try another one. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons" Harry replied

Harry kept himself looking into those cold eyes

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Monkshood and wolfsbane, are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite" Harry said responding calmly to the repeated questions.

Snape turned to the class "Why aren't you all copying that down?"he snapped before turning to Harry "Well Potter I'm glad that you don't appear to be such a dunderhead like your brother"and then turning to the class again "The instructions are on the board get to work".

He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them work

Harry saw out of the corner of his eye one of the other students a Hufflepuff named Devin Boyer knock over his cauldron

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Then he rounded on Harry and Joe, who had been working next to Devin

"You—Potter—why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? Five points from Ravenclaw.

Standing in silent disbelief at the potion teachers stupidity Harry did his best to focus on his brew and block out the noise.

Snape looked at Harry for a second longer before turning to yell at Devin.

Joe leaned in to whisper to Harry "I don't think Snape likes you much man" he said.

Harry nodded he had guessed coming into this that Snape would have a bone to pick with him because of who his father was.

Despite a few nasty glares than Snape spent the rest of the class choosing to torment other students and leave Harry alone.

As they were leaving Catherine came up behind Harry "Snape doesn't seem to like you" She said.

"You think" Joe snorted.

Harry sighed "Snape and my father had less than a friendly relationship in school," he said, "And I think Snape decided to transfer some of his hatred of James Potter onto his children".

Both Catherine and Joe frowned at that but did not say anything as they headed toward the Great Hall.

As they started to head over to the Ravenclaw table Harry felt his locket start to heat up signaling that the person on the other end was trying to contact him.

"Sorry guys I have to deal with something, "Harry said, "I will see you in Charms later".

Seeing the two nod in confusion Harry hurried into one of the abandoned classrooms before flipping the locket on.

He looked down and saw the face of his good friend Fleur Delacour then looking back at him.

"Arry," She said, "Ow has school been for you so far".

"Great" Harry beamed "You interrupted me as I was getting ready to eat though, "He said.

"Oh Sorry," She said, "We just finished eating".

Harry rolled his eyes "Well good for you princess" he said sarcastically.

Fleur stuck her tongue out at him and laughed.

Shaking his head at his friends bout of childishness "Anything else" he asked.

Composing herself Fleur sounded more serious "Yes Arry are your parents expecting you ome for Christmas this year".

Frowning "No their not I was planning to hang out and work a bit for Mr. Patterson," he said.

"Could he take you to France?"Fleur asked.

Harry thought for a second "I don't see why not but I will send him an owl soon" he said.

"Ok," Fleur said "Our family is spending the holidays in Calais this year'.

"I will let you know what I hear back from Mr. Patterson," Harry said, "Got to go".

They then said their goodbyes and Harry turned to grab a bite to eat at the Great Hall.

Later on in the day, they had Professor Flitwick's class which was much more enjoyable. He began his class by explaining what a charm was and outlined the wide range of the subject. He emphasized the importance of concentration, precise wand movements and the proper pronunciation of an incantation. He ended their first Charms class with a couple of funny anecdotes

His housemates and Harry after that entered the Transfiguration classroom. Harry chose a seat in the front. Then he saw the cat. However, the cat wasn't a cat. He remembered his Dad talking about how the Transfiguration teacher was a cat anigmus.

Harry went up to the cat then "Hello Professor McGonagall" he said, "Wonderful weather we are having today".

The cat looked at him in astonishment as Harry sat down in his seat.

"Harry why were you talking to the cat," Joe asked him as they sat down.

He smirked "Why I was just saying hi to the professor," he said.

Their questions where cut off by the cat jumping up and morphing into Minerva McGonagall

." Good Morning Class," She said.

Everyone looked startled at a tabby cat turning into their teacher but soon forgot that she began to talk.

"Welcome to Transfiguration" She warned the students "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

The Students shuttered at her ominous warning.

After giving a few housekeeping instructions she instructed them to read from their books and put some notes up on the board and their job was to try to turn a match into a needle

She passed out the matches to everyone and Harry looked down at his. He was remembering a concept that he had learned before about "sympathetic magic" and took a breath before turning his wand to the match.

He blinked in surprise as he had a silver needle sitting on his table that looked rather pointy in his opinion.

"Mr. Potter has done it, "Professor McGonagall said coming over to see Harry "He turned the match into a needle".

Harry felt himself heat up as the saw the eyes of everyone else upon him.

"Ten Points for being the first to get it correct," The Professor said smiling "I'm glad to see that Lily's skills have passed onto the next generation".

Harry just nodded uncomfortably as he waited for people's attention to get off him.

Joe turned to Harry "How did you do that so fast man" He asked.

"Good Luck" I suppose he said as everyone stopped looking at him and got back to work.

In the end, Harry was the only one that was able to fully master it and Professor McGonagall ended up giving everyone else a pile of Homework to do for Friday.

After leaving Transfiguration Harry decided to go jot an owl to Mr. Patterson.

Getting a quill and paper he went to the owlery where he jotted down a quick note.

Hey Mr. Patterson

I have been having a good time at Hogwarts so far all of the teachers seem to be the same as I expected them to be.

I know it's only been a few days since I saw you last but how are you doing

Fleur is doing good and enjoying Beauxbatons very much.

Also, could we go visit Fleur and her family in Calais for Christmas?

Thanks a lot

Harry

He then found one of the owls to deliver his letter to Knockturn.

Finally finding an owl that would take the letter who took out with a hoot.

Harry then turned around to make sure that he was on time to catch dinner.

**Author Note** here is a list of some of the new people I have added into Harry's year.

Ashlee Azzolini-Ravenclaw

Catherine Weinburgh-Ravenclaw

Joseph Blackburn-Ravenclaw

Madeline Ford-Slytherin

Sarah Hamilton-Hufflepuff

Morgan Hoffner-Gryffindor

Jacob Lehman-Gryffindor

Christopher Schaffer-Ravenclaw

Michael Arguelles-Gryffindor

Devin Boyer-Hufflepuff

Andrew Glenn-Ravenclaw

Michael and Bruce Hutchison-Hufflepuff

Kathryn Leukart-Hufflepuff

Cole Dawson-Ravenclaw

And responding to a few reviews I have gotten

jh831 1 Harry was in Chapter 2 using a little bit of wandless magic although with nothing two advanced.

2 I don't intend to use French much more in the story until maybe we get to the Triwizard tournament

3 Harry did not get his wand at Diagon because he got it from Mr. Patterson who is a wandmaker like Ollivander.

4 I had Harry get a snake because of his darker personality in this series

5 Harry did see memories from Voldermort of Diagon Alley but that was the alley 50 something years ago and it was only memories of the shops and not so much where to find them so he needed help on those

6 Harry was learning spells from his memories of Voldemort and some stuff that Mr. Patterson taught him

Sorry about this being long

Patton44


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

October 31st, 1988

Hogwarts

Harry really did not like Halloween ever since the attack on Godric's Hollow October 31st had held been a bad omen for him and this year was not anything different with him standing face to face to a fifty foot deep under the school.

But in order to figure out how Harry came about this situation we have to go back a few hours on the same day.

Harry woke up rubbing his eyes as he looked for his glasses.

"Rise and Shine Master," Medusa said, "Everyone else has left".

"Medusa" Harry muttered, "Shouldn't you be hunting about now".

"What you don't what me anymore" The snake gave his best smirk if it was even possible for them to do that.

Harry chose not to respond to that and decided to get ready for the day.

Today was October 31st or Halloween and the seventh anniversary where Max Potter destroyed the Dark Lord.

So he was expecting people to go a bit crazy then for the commemoration.

It made him sick though and decided that he would try to stick away from people as much as he could until the whole Boy who lived thing died down a bit.

Grumbling he left the dormitories with Medusa wrapped securely around his waist.

Passing a few people along the way down to the Great Hall he calmly ignored them heading toward the Ravenclaw Table.

The students had not known what to think about the brother of the boy who lived at first but after seeing his performance in class and his lack of a resemblance to his brother had treated him cautiously as an ordinary student

He had made two friends good friends though in Joseph and Catherine two fellow Ravenclaws and people that he could not find in the Great Hall.

Walking up to grab some food he was interrupted by an owl flying in and coming up to him.

"Hey," Harry said giving the owl his arm to hop on.

Harry saw a note on the owl's leg that he took off of the gracious owl.

Unveiling it on the table he began to read it.

Hello Harry

I'm Glad to hear that your classes are going ok.

Snape and your Father did not attend Hogwarts at the same time but I heard much about their rivalry.

Just keep your head down and everything should be ok.

On a brighter note

I believe we can visit France over break there should not be a problem with that.

Best of luck with your assignments

Cheers

Isaac Patterson

Harry grinned at the news before seeing Joe come in

"Hey Harry," he said "What are you looking at" pointing at the letter.

"Wha oh this" Harry said, "Just a letter i got".

Joe nodded before asking Harry for some of his pumpkin juice.

The two of them sat exchanging small talk before getting up to head off to class.

As they were passing by one of the bathrooms Medusa hissed to him.

"Speaker there's a snake here," Medusa told him.

Looking up ahead and seeing that Joe had gone up ahead and was chatting with another student Harry turned to Medusa.

"What do you mean there's a snake here," He asked.

"There is a strong smell of snake in that bathroom" Medusa informed him.

Harry's mind whirled what could it mean that there was a snake in the bathroom.

He turned and decided he would investigate but first, he hurried to catch up to Joe and the other student.

"Hey Joe," Harry said, "I have to do something real quick so I will see you later".

Joe looked at him puzzled but nonetheless agreed and kept on walking.

Harry then turned around to look at the place that Medusa had been talking about.

This was Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom he realized remembering the stories he had heard about the witch.

She had apparently been haunting the place ever dying in their many years ago and thus no one really went in there.

But still, it was a girls bathroom.

Looking at Medusa again "Are you sure the feeling you felt came from here" he asked.

"Yes," Medusa hissed "I can sense it, Master".

Still feeling nervous Harry trusted Medusa word though and decided to go inside.

Inside it looked like an empty bathroom but as Harry walked inside he was meet by a ghost coming up to him.

"Who are you," She asked him "I'm not in the mood to hear any moaning myrtle jokes today" snarling at him.

Harry raised his hands defensively "Relax" He said, "I'm not here to make fun of you".

She looked at him suspiciously "Than why are you in here" she asked less hostile than before but still cautious.

Not having a ready response he was saved by Medusa hissing at him from across the room "Speaker the energy is coming from the sink".

"Ayyyy" Myrtle shrieked "A snake" A snake".

"Myrtle calm down," Harry said, "He is my snake and is not here to cause any harm".

Myrtle connected the dots fast "Your a parseltongue" She gasped.

Harry winced "Myrtle I swear neither me or Medusa is here to cause you any harm," He said.

"Medusa" Myrtle gasped.

"He said that there was a great amount of energy coming from your bathroom that he wanted to look at," Harry said.

"Energy," Myrtle asked, "From here".

Harry nodded "Apparently he found snake energy near that sink," he said pointing to the one that Medusa was near.

"Snake energy," Myrtle said startled.

"Indeed," Harry said walking over to it "If there's anything involving snakes here than I should be able to open it," he said.

"Open it" Medusa hissed.

Curious Harry hissed "Open".

They then looked in astonishment as the sink disappear and turned into what looked like a slide.

"Wow," Myrtle said, "I didn't know that was there and I've been in this bathroom for forty years".

"Can you do a favor for me Myrtle?"Harry asked.

"What" She replied.

"Can you not let anyone know that I came here?"Harry asked nervously.

She looked at him before sighing "Sure thing not as though I have anyone to tell" She said.

Glad at Myrtle's agreement Harry was about to head down the slide before Medusa interrupted him.

"Excuse me Master" Medusa hissed "It would not make sense for their just to be a slide that would be hard to get back up".

Harry thought that made enough sense "You think there's another entrance" He asked.

"Stairs maybe" Medusa suggested, "So that people could get back up".

That seemed logical Harry hissed "Stairs" causing some stairs to open up next to the slide.

"After you Master" Medusa hissed.

Harry wondered what he was getting himself into as they walked down the stairs hearing Myrtle's cheery voice as they left.

"Have fun" She called after him, "If you die you can inherit this bathroom with me".

Shaking his head but still walking with trepidation Harry and Medusa traveled down the stairwell,

Eventually, they reached a stone hallway that seemed to go on for a foreseeable distance

As they were walking along the path Harry noticed that the air seemed to be very calm as though nothing but themselves were moving.

Finally, they reached a stone snake that blocked their path.

Harry assumed this would be like the sink upstairs so he hissed at the snake to open.

It worked and Harry and Medusa entered into what looked like a giant chamber surrounded by snake effigies and looking down on a giant causeway.

The two of them moved down the chamber floor on guard with Harry holding his wand out.

"Up there" Medusa hissed gesturing in the direction of a giant structure "That is where the energy is coming from master" He hissed enthusiastically

Harry was not sure about all of this but decided to follow Medusa to see what the energy was coming from.

Once they reached the snake head, Medusa asked Harry if he could open it.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Harry asked Medusa.

Taking Medusas enthusiastic hisses as a yes, Harry went up and commanded the structure to open.

Jumping back in surprise, Harry was startled when a snake started to slither out of the hole. The snake was the largest that Harry had ever seen in his whole life, the beast was at the very least fifty feet long and looked very dangerous.

Harry gulped this may have been a bad idea to come down here.

"She is a basilisk Master," Medusa said awestruck

Harry suddenly felt scared, He read about a basilisk these were creatures whose gaze could petrify you and was easily big enough to eat him.

Quickly looking away as he heard the basilisk fully appear

"Why what do we have here a human" He heard a slick voice from behind him.

Deciding that caution was best in this situation Harry called back to the giant snake "I am sorry we mean you no harm".

"A human that speaks the language of the snakes" The basilisk hissed "Are you the heir of my master," she asked.

"Heir" Harry asked

"Yes," The basilisk responded "The heir of Salazar Slytherin".

Salazar Slytherin Harry thought "I am sorry but I do not know that my name is Harry Potter".

"Potter" The lizard mused "Never heard of it before" turning to Medusa "And whom might you be my child," she asked.

"Medusa" He answered proudly "This humans familiar".

"A snake and human" She hissed" That is uncommon" before turning back to Harry

"If you can speak my language than you do not have to worry about my eye child," she said.

Harry was surprised at that but slowly turned to face the basilisk.

He supposed it a good thing as he was not getting petrified by looking at her.

"Relax youngling" She hissed "You do not have to fear me".

Harry let out a little sigh that he did not even know that he had been holding.

For a little while after that Harry and Medusa answered some questions from the basilisk from Harry noticed the time.

"I am sorry maam'Harry said "We must leave now before people notice out absence" He explained.

"Very well" She hissed "Do visit again Youngling".

Harry then started to leave with Medusa wrapped around his waist his heart beating all of the way.

They than practically ran the rest of the way to the stairs and back to the surface.

He was then hit by a scary thought as they were leaving.

Fleur was going to bloody kill him.

**Quick Question** Does anyone on here use or know how to post on Harry Potter FanFic Archive I keep trying to post my story on there making sure to fill out all of the fields but it always says "Some of the required information is missing. Please check your input. Required fields are title, summary, categories, rating, and story text" despite having all of that If you know how to or have posted on that site and can PM me that would be much appreciated

And answering a Review from a guest

I'm sorry but I'm not fully aware of what a Lilly or a Jamie is but a few things.

1 Any future kids will not be named off any one of the potters or their friends

2 Not sure about who will die in the war yet still working that one out

3 Any Potter attempt at forgiveness will not be too drastic and over the top

4 Harry will not be involved in the Muggle World until after school probably

Thanks for the review

Patton44


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

December 19th, 1988

Hogwarts

Harry woke up early on the day that they were to be leaving home on the Hogwarts Express. He had worked out with Mr. Patterson that his mentor would pick him up at the train station and they would take an international portkey to meet up with Fleur and her family in Calais.

Getting up he saw Medusa slide up from under his bed.

"You seem very enthusiastic Master" He hissed.

Ignoring his snake Harry waved his wand and watched in satisfaction as his stuff flew into nice piles in his trunk.

"Come" Harry gestured for Medusa to slide onto his waist.

The snake this slithered on to Harry out of sight and out of mind.

Entering the Ravenclaw Common Room he saw two of his friends Joe and Catherine gathered by one of the couches.

"Hey guys," Harry said to them "Ready to go".

"Yeah," Joe said, "I'm ready to see my family again".

"Do you know if you can come over?" Catherine asked him.

"I don't know," Harry said realizing guiltily that he had not told his friends about where he was going for break.

They then began to walk down to the Great Hall to grab some food to eat before heading down to the train station.

Harry walked silently listening to what his friends would be doing over break. It sounded like Joe and his family were traveling to the Bahamas and Catherine was going to Italy.

And then inevitably he was brought into the conversation."What are your winter plans Harry" Catherine asked?

Harry shrugged noncommittally" Still working that all out," He said.

Thankfully they bought that line. He felt bad not being truthful with his friends but he had told very little people about his friend from France and he wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Soon they got to the Great Hall and sat down for a quick meal.

He then got involved in a game of wizarding chess with Catherine over breakfast that he ended up winning.

"Sorry," Joe said grinning at Catherine "Better luck next time".

"I will get better" She growled, "And I will beat you, Harry Potter".

Rolling his eyes at her Harry noticed the time "Time to get our stuff together" He said.

Before they knew it they were back in the common room only to see House Elf's bustling about.

"Excuse me," Catherine asked, "What are you doing with our stuff".

One of the house elf's looked her "We be taking the children's luggage to the train so they don't have to carry it" She said.

Harry blinked "That's nice of you," He said.

The house elf's ignored them and the trio left the Common Room joining the crowd running towards the train station.

As he was walking Harry noticed that they were passing Myrtle's Bathroom.

"Guys," Harry asked, "Can we go this way?"He said gesturing to another corridor that led away from the bathroom.

Sighing in relief as they followed what he wanted them to do his mind thought back to the chamber.

After his first journey down the chamber stairs that bathroom had been avoided like a plague of locusts for the next couple of weeks.

And then Harry had reconsidered and gone down there again.

It had not been as scary the second time around but was still jaw-dropping.

He talked with the basilisk again and learned that as long as nothing annoyed her she was quite docile and pleasant to talk to.

The interesting part was when the basilisk directed Harry to what seemed to be an old library in the back of the chamber.

All of the books in the library looked to be old and very valuable but time constraints had prevented him from exploring the chamber to its fullest extent.

He made a promise to explore it more in the new year though.

Soon they were at the train station where all of the other students were already the Hogwarts Express.

The three of them hurried on to find a good seat for the ride home.

They eventually settled on a compartment near the middle of the train.

Going inside they saw that their stuff was already on the top shelves and they took their seats.

Soon the Hogwarts Express roared to life and began to move along.

Settling down Harry turned to his friends "I'm Tired" He said, "I may take a short nap".

The other two nodded and started to chat as Harry sat down and began to drift off to the sound of the train and his friend's chatter.

A Bucket of cold water was then drenched on top of Harry's head.

He jumped to his feet and pulled out his wand and looked around startled at what was going on.

Joe was there with a huge grin on his face and an empty bucket of water in his lap.

"Joe" Harry groaned "What the hell was that for".

"Sorry mate" Joe replied not sounding sorry at all "You weren't waking up and Catherine had to change".

"Wait," Harry said, "We are almost at the station aren't we".

"Yup" Came to the response.

Harry sighed and realized that was probably a good thing as he hastily changed into his normal clothes.

Soon Catherine came back into the compartment smiling when she saw Harry awake and changed.

"I'm guessing he didn't like the water," She asked Joe.

Both of them laughed at Harry's moan.

"I will get back at you for that," He said, "I have epic prankster blood in me".

"Sure Harry, Sure," Joe said.

They were then interrupted by the sounds signaling that they had arrived at the train station.

Getting up the three of them joined the crowd currently exiting the train.

Stepping onto the platform everyone began to search for their respective families.

Catherine joined her Parents and Joe joined a group of people that he recognized as his family.

Searching the platform himself Harry felt his heart sink as he did not see any of his family here although he had not expected that they would be here.

And then he saw Mr. Patterson come out of one of the clusters of people waving him over.

Walking over with a large smile on his face Harry greeted his mentor.

The two gave a quick hug when they reached each other.

"Nice to see you Harry" Isaac murmured in his ear "Your girlfriend is also eager to see you if what I hear is correct," He said with a chuckle.

Harry flushed "Sir she is not my" before being interrupted.

"Relax I'm just teasing," He said, "And what have I told you about calling me Isaac in an informal setting like this". he said

Laughing at his face Mr. Patterson turned to look at his stuff "Got everything you need Harry" He asked.

Harry nodded in the affirmative.

"And you got Medusa," Mr. Patterson asked.

Harry just pointed to the bulge wrapped around his waist.

"All right let's go then," Mr. Patterson said turning to lead Harry through a crowded Railway Station.

Soon they reached an empty room in the back of the station.

"All right," Mr. Patterson turned to face Harry "Dobby" he .

A house elf popped out "Yes Master" it asked.

Harry raised an eyebrow "You got a house elf" He asked.

"The Malfoys did not want him any longer" Was Mr. Patterson's reply before talking to Dobby "Can you take Harry's things to France Dobby".

"Yes, Dobby is taking Young Master Harry's Trunk," Dobby said before taking the trunk and popping away.

Mr. Patterson held out a teacup "Hold on to this Harry" He said "We are taking a Portkey to get to France" He explained.

Harry nodded and grabbed the cup along with Mr. Patterson.

A few minutes later after expiring the gut-wrenching feeling of Magical Travel Harry was tackled by a silver blur.

Looking down he saw Fleur hugging him with a death grip.

'Hey Fleur" He said petting her hair and seeing her parents appear and grinning at their daughter's antics.

"She was really happy to see you," Appoline said.

Looking down at Fleur he only had one thought going through his head.

This was going to be an amazing Christmas.

**Author Note I did not expect starting this that so many people would be interested in the relationship between Harry and his parents but since i see intrest i will start working on some Harry/Potter Family scenes for the future**


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

December 19th, 1988

Calais France

Harry looked down at his wonderful silver-haired friend Fleur Isabelle Delacour who was currently hugging his waist.

"Um, Fleur" Harry said nervously "I'm here you can let go now," he said.

She blushed but pulled away nonetheless.

Behind them, they heard the laughing of Fleurs Mother Appoline Delcour

"My, My Fleur," She said "Clingy much".

Fleur moaned at her mothers teasing "Maman I was just happy to see Arry after so long" She said.

Appoline chuckled "It's ok Fleur I am glad to see Harry too," She said bringing Harry into a hug.

Harry momentarily stiffened before relaxing and enjoying the touch of the older woman, like a hug that a mother would give her son.

"Come," Apolline said turning to view Harry, Fleur and Mr. Patterson who was standing further behind them "Everyone is waiting inside".

Mr. Patterson came up "Appoline wonderful to see you" He said leaning in and kissing her palm.

"Oh hush Isaac" Appoline murmured "It has been a long time hasn't it been".

Fleur and Harry looked at the two adults "You two know each other maman" Fleur asked.

"We fought together in the war" Mr. Patterson replied.

"And then didn't talk for years afterward," Appoline said sadly.

Appoline than focused and motioned for the others to follow her into the building.

Harry followed Fleur into the building that was serving as the Delcour Home.

Sebastian walked up to greet them.

"Isaac my friend," He said coming up to give Mr. Patterson a pat on the back and pull into an embrace.

"It's nice to see you two Sebastian," Mr. Patterson said.

Sebastian turned to face Harry then.

"Harry my boy" The older man came up to greet Harry "It's nice to see you again".

"Yeah you too," Harry said looking around at his surroundings.

The Delcour Villa was a very elaborate structure with several floors it appeared. They were standing in what looked to be like the front entryway with a spiral staircase that led to a hallway up above them.

"Impressive isn't it Harry," Sebastian said seeing Harry gaze around the inside of the villa.

"Have you all had dinner yet?" Appoline asked Mr. Patterson and Harry.

They both let her know that they had not eaten in a couple of hours by that point.

"We are almost done with dinner if you would like to join us in the kitchen," Appoline said pointing to an open room down a hallway.

Mr. Patterson looked at Harry who nodded and started to follow his mentor along with Fleurs family down the hall.

They then turned into a bright dining room with a side hallway turning into the kitchen.

"Well" Appoline turned to everyone "I'm going to help the house elf's finish the food," She said looking at her husband "You and Isaac can spend some time catching up".

The two older men nodded as Appoline turned into the kitchen.

Mr. Patterson and Sebastian slid into two seats at the grand dinner table across from each other.

Harry saw Fleur motioning at him to take a seat.

Pulling out a chair and sitting down he saw Fleur take a seat not across from him like her father did but she sat down in the chair right next to him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Sebastian smile at them before resuming his conversation with Mr. Patterson.

"So Arry" Fleur began talking to him "Ow as your school year been so far".

Harry began to happily recount the past few months to his friend.

From what it sounded like Fleur had only been able to make one real friend at Beauxbatons Cosette Cazeneuve.

He frowned at hearing how the other students had been treating her as though she were something the rest of them.

After Mr. Patterson had given him the book about the history of veela he had diligently read it all studying the book with much interest. Confused at first at what it could mean he finally figured it out.

Fleur Delacour was a Veela.

He was then able to confirm that fact in one of their conversations a few weeks later.

Despite reading the book and hearing some information every once in awhile in conversations he still knew very little about what it meant to be veela.

Harry was not an expert on Human Biology by any means but anyone could see just by looking at Fleur that she was seemed to be developing a lot faster than a normal girl was supposed to.

Already at the age of eleven, she looked more like someone who was more in the fifteen sixteen range.

He could see where all of the students at her school were coming from since she anyone could see that she was starting to grow into a beautiful young woman.

But he would always remember that she was first and foremost his first and best friend and that her veela looks came second in his books.

He was then interrupted in his thoughts by Appoline and one of the house elves coming out of the kitchen.

"Dinners Ready" Mrs. Delcour called out.

They then all got up to follow Appoline into the kitchen.

Laid out on the table was a large assortment of English and French food and delicacies that looked incredibly appetizing.

"Choose what you want kids," Appoline said to Fleur and Harry.

"Thank you, Maman" "Thank you, Mrs. Delcour," Harry and Fleur said simultaneously.

Harry then began to choose food off the table to eat with occasional french food suggestions from Fleur.

.The whole family then sat down to eat.

As they sat down and soon a friendly conversation soon started up again.

"So Harry," Sebastian asked, "How are you liking Hogwarts so far".

"It's good" Harry shrugged not sure whether to mention his adventures in the depths of the castle just yet.

"I was thinking of some stuff to do over this summer," Isaac said addressing everyone "Harry how would you like some physical training practice," He asked.

"Physical Training," Harry asked raising an eyebrow.

"Magic is only one thing to know in a duel" Isaac explained, "You can improve yourself significantly if you have higher endurance and can outrun your opponent".

"Where would we be going," Harry asked curiously.

"A friend of mine in Poland" He explained "You can come along two Fleur if your parents are ok with it" Mr. Patterson added.

They turned to the adult Delcour's who conversed amongst themselves for a few seconds.

Then Sebastian spoke "I see any problem with that," He said, "Phys Ed never hurt anyone".

"I agree" Appoline added.

"Maman," Fleur said in surprise.

"Well, what do you think Harry," Mr. Patterson asked.

"I don't see any issue with it," Harry said.

Soon they got done with their food.

Mrs. Delcour called for one of the house elf's to pick their plates up.

"All right," Sebastian said turning to the kids "It is time for you two to go to bed," He said, "Harry your room is on the third floor a few doors next to fleurs".

"She can show you," Appoline said turning to Fleur "Make sure not to wake Gabby on your way up darling," she said.

"What will you be doing," Harry asked Mr. Patterson.

"I need to catch up with the Delacours and have a few adult conversations" He replied, "I will see you tomorrow though".

"Come Arry," Fleur said grabbing his hand "I will show you to your room".

Harry happily let himself be led along by his friend up the stairs.

After walking through many halls and up quite a few stairs they finally reached two doors with Harry Potter and Fleur Delacour engraved on the top.

"This is your room Arry," Fleur said taking him inside the right room.

It was a nice room Harry thought looking around it looked pretty much his room back at Potter Manor and it already had his stuff placed along one of the walls.

"Do you like it, Harry?" Fleur said softly.

"I love it Fleur" Harry replied.

The two then sat down on Harry's bed and despite the order to go to bed, they began to chat.

At first, it was about quite trivial things but then they soon started talking about every which thing they could think about.

Neither this noticed the clock tick as the night went on.

**Author Note** I had someone contact me about this and I wanted to . Patterson gave Harry money for working for him which would be put into a Trust Vault to be able to be used by Harry when he turns 18 to buy his own house and stuff like that.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

December 22nd 1988

Paris,France

"Wake up Ary, Wake up we're going shopping today" A voice came interrupting Harry from his dreams.

"Wha" Harry rubbed his eyes and was treated to a very energetic Fleur Delacour jumping on his bed in an attempt to get him to wake up.

"Fleur" Harry groaned "Please get off I'm up".

She got up with a hawkish grin on her face "Make sure you are ready soon Arry" She said, "We are going shopping with Maman and Moisur Patterson".

Harry groaned "Shopping".he said.

"Yes," Fleur said turning to leave, "Maman said we leave in thirty minutes".

Laying in bed for a minute longer Harry decided to get up before someone had to come in and remind him again.

Walking down the stairs he was greeted by Mr. Patterson standing with an annoyed look on his face.

Seeing Harry he smiled before calling out to him "You ready to go".

"I didn't know we were going out today," Harry said groggily.

"Appoline had the idea an hour ago" Mr. Patterson replied, "It was a bit of a spur of the moment decision".

Their conversation was then interrupted by Fleur and Appoline coming into the front entryway.

Appoline smiled seeing Harry up and ready to go "Good job Fleur you got him up".

They all laughed at Harry muttering under his breath about "Crazy Witches being the end of me".

"All right," Appoline said "We will go outside onto the lawn," She said, "Harry take Isaacs Arm and Fleur you take mine and we will side apparate to Paris".

Harry nodded and followed everyone outside still complaining about being dragged out of bed this early.

"Where is Papa" Fleur asked her mother.

"He had some business to deal with at the Ministry," Her mother told everyone.

"Oh yeah," Mr. Patterson said "Harry im going to have to go back to work on the shop tomorrow," He said, "I will be here for Christmas eve though".

"You have much work to do Moisour Patterson," Fleur asked.

"I can only leave the shop closed for a day or two," Mr. Patterson said, "And Please call me Issac Fleur Mr. Patterson makes me feel so old".

"Your not old" Appoline said, "Sebastian is just a few years younger than you".

Isaac laughed "I feel old though Appoline".

Soon they reached an open meadow.

"All right," Appoline said, "Everyone get ready to go".

Harry grabbed Isaacs Arm and tried to hold on for dear life.

Soon they were being pulled along through the wonders of magical transportation and soon arrived at their destination.

Harry saw they had arrived in a building that looked to be the French ministry.

Looking he saw Fleur and Appoline apparate beside them. Fleur unhooked her arm from her moms looking quite queasy.

Harry sympathetically patted her on the back knowing that was one of the best ways he knew to relieve the sickness from travel.

"Thank you, Harry," Fleur said finally looking up and managing to compose herself slightly

The two of them saw that Appoline and Isaac were starting to leave.

Hurrying to catch up the four of them walked through the building.

"Mama," Fleur asked, "Where does Papa work".

"Your father works up on the sixth floor," Appoline said, "He is very busy at this time of the year".

They exited onto a crowded street.

Appoline turned to Harry "Harry have you ever used Muggle Travel" she asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, "We have used cabs before in the past".

"Good," She said and then hailed a taxi cab.

After the cab had arrived Mr. Patterson held open the door for the rest of the group to enter through.

The seating arrangements ended up being that Appoline would sit on the end with Fleur sitting next to her and followed by Harry with Mr. Patterson at the other end of the vehicle.

Appoline than spoke to the driver and gave instructions on where they wanted to go.

Soon as the car began moving everyone started up their conversations again being careful of what they said in the presence of Muggles.

"Don't you work at the shop with Isaac Arry?"Fleur asked.

"Yes, he does," Mr. Patterson said, "I want him to stay here when I go back tomorrow though".

"Why," Appoline asked, "You are fine leaving Harry here with us".

Mr. Patterson laughed "I think he would be more than fine staying with you for a day or so," he said adding "I can come to France at any time during the year but the kids will only be off of school for these two weeks".

"When will I be able to help out some more around the shop," Harry asked

"Over the summer," Mr. Patterson said, "You should use this time to relax with friends Harry not working".

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw that Fleur seemed very happy about Mr. Patterson heading back to England.

Soon the cab stopped and everyone got out.

After paying the cab driver Appoline led the group into what looked to be a giant store.

Harry marveled at the enormity of the inside of the Muggle Building and how everywhere he looked there where various shops selling a variety of products.

"Welcome to a French Shopping Mall Harry," Appoline said "I have to take Fleur to visit a few shops on our own" pointing to a fountain "We can meet here in about an hour".

Harry was about to ask about what was so important she would have them split up on a trip that she planned but the two women were gone before he could say anything.

Mr. Patterson chuckled seeing Harry's face "Harry you will find that one of the hardest things to understand in this world is women even at my age"

Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts "What will we be doing then" He asked.

"We are going shopping yourself," Isaac said.

"What for," Harry asked as he followed his mentor.

"Do you have a Christmas gift picked out for Fleur yet?"Isaac asked him.

Harry blanched he had forgotten about Christmas.

"Just as I thought" Mr. Patterson laughed "No worries we are going to find something".

The next half hour was spent searching through various shops trying to find something that Fleur would like.

Harry was starting to feel frustrated at how hard it was to find a simple gift.

They then walked into a store that he wasn't sure what it was supposed to be used for but the amount of pink made Harry feel sick.

"You know I have been talking to Appoline and Sebastian a lot recently," Mr. Patterson said "From what I have gotten from them I think Fleur would really like that item," He said pointing at an object on one of the walls.

"Really," Harry asked feeling his face heat up at the insinuations.

"Yes," Isaac said "Coming from experience Harry witches are a big fan of those," He said, "Especially Fleur if my guess is correct".

Still, with many questions in his head, Harry followed Mr. Patterson to the desk where he paid for Fleurs gift.

With some time to spare the two of them spent the next half hour looking at the various muggle sports sections.

Harry was interested in trying out for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team next year and found the muggle games to be quite interesting especially the game of football.

Soon they headed back to the fountain at the front of the store where they were met by Appoline and Fleur who looked to be quite flustered by the looks of it.

"You two got everything you need," Isaac said calling out to them.

Appoline answered in the affirmative and Fleur nodded.

"We need to go shopping for the ball now," Appoline said.

"Ball," Harry asked.

"Oui" Appoline told him "Every Christmas the Delcour Family hosts a Christmas Gala," she said, "You two are welcome to attend".

Isaac nodded "I think that would be fine".

"I don't know how to dance though" Harry protested.

"Than Fleur and I will have to teach you tomorrow then won't we," Appoline said beaming.

"You know how to dance," Harry asked Fleur.

"We taught her," Appoline said, "It's a good skill for the daughter of the French Opposition Leader to know".

Harry after much internal debate decided to go to the ball.

Soon Appoline dragged them to what looked like a giant clothing store.

The next Two Hours where absolute torture for Harry as the girls had him try on what looked like every outfit the store had while critiquing his posture and appearance.

Although Harry felt a rush of Happiness when he saw Fleur enjoy his modeling.

Mr. Patterson stood on the side and smirked at what he was going through before Appoline convinced him to model some outfits for them.

And when Fleur had her time to try on various outfits Harry was astonished at how beautiful she looked in her dresses. He also noticed how her eyes always went to his when she came out to see what his reaction was to the various clothing she modeled.

Eventually, nearly three hours later and several pounds poorer they left the shop.

"All right," Appoline said, "I think we can go home now".

Harry and Fleur let out a sigh of relief and followed the adults back to the cab.

Settling back into their seats and putting their bags on the floor and everyone laid back to relax.

"Maman can we not go their again," Fleur asked.

"You didn't like it," Appoline said smiling "Fine we can go somewhere else in the future," she said.

"Ow are you olding up Arry, "Fleur asked.

"Tired" He responded.

"Don't worry we won't do that in the future" She said before stopping herself "Sorry I misspoke".

Harry looked at her "In the future" he thought.

As the four of them began talking the cab ride and walk through the ministry seemed to pass in the blink of an eye where they gave their stuff to one of the house elf's to take.

Soon they were back in the meadow in front of the villa.

Mr. Patterson turned to them "Well I have to go back now" He said, "Harry I will see you on Christmas Eve" Ruffling his hair "Enjoy your dance lessons tomorrow" Ignoring Harry's protests he popped away back to England.

"Well Harry lets get our stuff put away," Appoline said turning to head into the house.

"Fleur and Harry hurried after her into the villa.

**Author Note** I have seen a few people commenting about this and I wanted to say something. I am not perfect at grammar or spelling I revise these chapters several times but things can slip through especially in the first few chapters and thus I apologize if some of the text is confusing.

Also for the people interested I have chapters planned in the future that will have massive amounts of Harry/Potter/Family interactions so look forward to that.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

December 23rd 1988

Delcour Villa,France

As Harry headed down the stairs for breakfast he ran into Sebastian getting ready for work.

"Morning" Harry greeted the elder Delcour "Busy day at work today," He asked.

"Yeah" Sebastian sighed "It's around Christmas and the Minister has called a meeting to vote on some bills" adding "You would think he would take a bit of time off".

"Sorry about that" Harry said.

"You have nothing to do with what our idiot of a minister does, "Mr. Delcour said "I believe that Appoline and Fleur were going to give you dance lessons today," He said.

"Yeah," Harry told him "I'm going to the Christmas Ball".

"We'll do a good job," Sebastian said, "We host this Ball every year for Members of The French Government especially those whose support I would need to become Minister".

"You could become Minister," Harry asked surprised.

"The next election could be anyone's game" Was his cryptic reply before Sebastian noticed the clock "Got to go, Harry, Good luck with the girls today" Sebastian Turned and disappeared into the fireplace with speed and eloquence that Harry could only admire...

Harry gulped nervously but started walking to the kitchen to get some breakfast.

One of the house elf's was bustling about the kitchen but stopped when seeing Harry.

"Master Harry is awake," The house elf said, "What can Takpey get for you".

Before Harry could answer he heard a voice behind him "Arry".

Recognizing that voice in an instant Harry spun around "Fleur" greeting her warmly before noticing her current state.

Fleur was currently wearing a periwinkle nightgown with her hair let down with a long sheet of silvery-blonde hair falling down to her waist length.

She also still looked incredibly tired.

"Are you ok Fleur?" Harry asked, "You look tired ".

"I'm ok," She said undercutting her own argument with a cute yawn "I don't think I would be able to back to bed anyway" She murmured."Come" gesturing along one of the hallways that Harry had not been down yet.

She took him to a patio room that Harry had not seen yet.

"Chair Mlady" Harry offered pulling out a chair for her to sit on.

"Thank you Arry" She murmured giving him a quick hug "What a gentleman".

The two sat down and gazed at the rising sun off in the distance.

Sitting for a little while and enjoying each others company Harry enjoyed the serene nature of the early morning.

"This is nice," Fleur said softly "A good break from school".

Harry nodded and remembered their conversation from dinner and a couple of days ago.

"How are the students at your school" Harry asked.

Fleur sighed "They don't like me very much" She admitted, "There are a lot of students at Beauxbatons who don't like my Father and his party".

"They don't like you because of your father," Harry asked surprised.

"Oui" Fleur replied, "And I am starting to come into my Veela Maturity that causes my body to mature faster than other peoples".

"I'm sorry Fleur," Harry said sympathetically.

"Those people are not you Arry," She said, "I really appreciate having you as a friend".

Harry ran several thoughts through his head before that was interrupted by Fleurs voice.

"I think you were going to get breakfast before I came down," she asked.

"Yeah" He replied.

"Come inside with me then," Fleur asked, "I can make breakfast for the both of us".

"Thank you," Harry said following her into the kitchen.

After stopping to use the loo real quick Harry came into the kitchen and saw Fleur wrapping up a conversation with one of the elves.

Turning when she heard him approach she shooed the elf away "What would you like for breakfast Arry" she asked.

"I don't know" Harry replied, "Surprise me".

For the next twenty to thirty minutes Harry sat watching as Fleur impressively moved around the kitchen cooking various items that smelled delicious.

Eventually, Fleur came out bringing a few plates of food.

She gave him his plate and sat down to eat with Harry.

"You like it," She asked.

Harry nodded "Very tasty," He told her after swallowing a bite.

The two of them sat and ate their food before they heard feet coming up behind them.

Glancing behind him Harry saw Appoline approaching them.

"Good morning Children," Appoline said "You already made breakfast Fleur

Fleur jumped but after turning and seeing her mom she relaxed "Yes Mama" Fleur said, "I made breakfast for us this morning".

"Good" Appoline nodded "You ready for today Harry".

"I think so," Harry said, "I want to be able to dance adequately enough for the ball on Sunday".

"I'm sure you'll do good" Appoline reassured him "Finish up and then we can start".

Harry finished up his food before giving his plate to one of the house elf's and following Fleur to one of the front rooms to meet Appoline.

Appoline stood up from the chair she was sitting in once she saw Fleur and Harry enter the room.

"You ready you two" Appoline asked the two kids "I had the house elf's set outfits on your beds go put them on".

Harry obediently followed Fleur up the stairs and into their rooms.

On his bed, he saw some nice dress robes laid out that he recognized from their shopping trip the previous day.

Harry then hurriedly got dressed in the robes that Appoline had set out for him. Checking out himself in the mirror to make sure everything was satisfactory before heading downstairs.

Back downstairs in the front room, he saw Appoline still sitting on her couch.

"You look good Harry," Appoline said looking him over "Fleur should be down in another few minutes".

"Ok" Harry replied sitting down next to her on the sofa.

After a few minutes of waiting, Harry saw Fleur walking down the stairs wearing a stunning white gown that made her look absolutely beautiful.

Appoline laughed at Harry's expression "I told you he would like it Fleur" She said.

Fleur didn't reply to that comment but just walked up to Harry and her Mother looking quite flushed.

"Ok," Appoline said "Let us begin now, Fleur already knows the moves for a lot of these moves so I'll give you instructions".

"Come Fleur" Appoline gestured "We will teach Harry how to do the Rumba in six simple steps".

"The Steps are simple" Appoline said "Step 1: Step side with the left foot,Step 2: You Close your right foot to your left foot and switch your weight,Step 3: You Switch your weight on the left foot, Step 4: You Step side with your right foot, Step 5: You Close your left foot to your right foot and switch your weight and finally Step 6: You Switch your weight on to your right foot".

Harry did his best to remember all of the steps that Appoline was rattling off at him.

"Watch how I do it with Fleur," Appoline said, "That should help you grasp the steps".

Harry watched and studied intently as Fleur and Appoline began to prance around the room using several of the moves that Appoline had just described to him.

Soon after finishing their routine Appoline turned and gave Fleurs hand to Harry.

"You try now," Appoline said, "She's all yours".

Harry gulped nervously but took Fleurs hands nonetheless.

.He did his best at following the same moves that Appoline had shown him and was extremely happy that he did not end up stepping on Fleurs feet.

Deeply focused on what he was doing and making sure that his feet went to their correct positions he ignored the wonderful feeling he got from dancing with Fleur and thus did not notice her emotions either.

Appoline clapped after they finished practicing the moves a couple of times "Well done" She complimented them "I just have a few more things to show you how to do Harry and then we will be good for today".

For the next hour or so Appoline taught Harry how to do several other dance moves with Fleur most of which were pretty easy to grasp and where quite fun to practice.

Eventually, Appoline called an end to their little dance session.

"I think you're good enough for the ball," Appoline said satisfied "And Fleur can cover for any shortcomings you may have".

"Wait what," Harry said looking at them curiously.

"Mama and Papas Ball is a Partner Dance Arry," Fleur said looking quite red in the face.

"Fleur has not attended any of the past balls" Appoline explained, "Now she is entering the world so the ball would be a good first introduction".

"I ope you don't mind dancing with me a few times," Fleur asked.

"That's fine," Harry said, "Just as long as I don't end up embarrassing you".

"Non," Appoline told him "You wouldn't be hurting us, Harry, you would actually be helping us out by going with Fleur".

"If you say so" Harry replied.

'Now if you don't mind Harry I need to talk with Fleur about something in private".Appoline said.

"No worries" Harry replied, "I needed to finish some homework anyhow".

"Good" Appoline nodded before whisking Fleur away.

Harry then went back up to his room to change and get his work for school done before dinner.


	21. Chapter 20

Author Note Sorry about the delay I had things going on

Chapter 20

December 25th, 1988

Delcour Villa

Harry was experiencing a wonderful dream when he was woken by a fuzzy little voice.

"Wake up Arry please" A little voice kept repeating from on top of him.

As Harry awoke and focused on what was currently jumping on him. A silver-haired blur was trying to get him to wake up.

Groaning Harry reached for his glasses and saw a little girl on his chest.

And then a voice came from further across the room "I think you got him awake Gabby" Harry looked and saw Fleur smiling and standing near his door.

Harry turned to the little girl recognizing her as Fleur's sister who had been absent for much of the past couple of days.

"Why hey little lady" Harry spoke to the little girl "What are you doing up this early in the morning".

"She wanted to be the one to wake you up for Christmas".Fleur said looking at the two of them fondly.

"Oh yeah, that's today isn't it" Harry realized "Merry Christmas than Fleur, Gabby" nodding to the two sisters in turn.

"We have Christmas gifts set by the tree downstairs," Fleur said, "Everyone is downstairs".

"Wait what" Harry murmured "What time is it Fleur," he asked.

"It's late enough in the morning that Moisur Patterson is back," Fleur said.

Harry cursed under his breath "I will be down as soon as I can".

Fleur nodded "Come Gabby let Harry get ready".

Harry couldn't believe he slept on Christmas of all days. Hurriedly throwing on an outfit he headed down to the living room.

He saw Fleur and her family sitting down around the Christmas Tree and glimpsing a figure which Harry easily identified as Mr. Patterson.

Surprised Harry ran up and hugged Isaac "Your back already".

"Yup got back last night," Mr. Patterson said with a grin "Ready for today".

"You know it," Harry said looking at everything assembled

"Ok, who wants to go first," Sebastian said looking at the children from the couch he was sharing with Appoline.

"I think Gabby's excited to look at the presents" Fleur chuckled as Gabby was currently trying to get out of Fleurs lap and get to the Christmas tree.

"Than I think she should go first," Appoline said.

Fleur than picked Gabriele up and took her over to the tree with the little girl not being able to keep still.

"All right, Gabby" Fleur sat down at the base of the tree placing her sister right next to her "Why don't you try opening this one first".

The rest of the group looked fondly as little Gabrielle Delacour excitedly opened and fawned over all of her Christmas presents.

Harry was impressed in how easily Fleur dealt with little children and based on several facial expressions from people around the room he didn't think he was the only one who noticed.

The Delcour Parents opened the few gifts they had gotten next. Sebastian got a lot of gifts from his coworkers and some books in political theory that Harry and Mr. Patterson had worked together for him.

And then Mr. Patterson opened his gifts which consisted of a couple of rare books that Harry had found in the Chamber and a Governmental Contract from Sebastian.

"What is this" Mr. Patterson asked looking at the parchment in confusion.

"That my friend is a Defense Contract from Secretary Desmoulins," Sebastian said proudly, "I think you will be getting a lot more business".

Isaac blinked in shock but let Harry open his presents next.

Harry dug into the pile of gifts he had and found a broomstick from Mr. Patterson.

He turned to look at his mentor in confusion "You were talking about wanting to join the Quidditch Team next year Harry so I figured may as well help you out".

"Thank you sir" Harry moved to give Isaac a hug still stunned at the generosity,

Opening up his next gifts he found he got some potion equipment from Catherine and a book on flying from Joe."Real subtle" Harry muttered.

Harry's next gift he saw was from Appoline and Sebastian, opening it he saw what looked like a wand holster.

"It's a defensive wand holster" Appoline explained, "You use it and it has several enchantments put into it to help you defend yourself".

"Thank you" Harry got up to give Sebastian and Appoline quick hugs.

He then opened up his last gift from Fleur. Everyone around him gasped.

"Fleur you got Aunt Marie to part with this" Appoline said surprised.

In Harry's hands where what he recognized as an invisibility cloak.

"My Aunt gave this to me" Fleur explained, "It is not perfect and will be rendered useless in a couple of years but it should help you out until then".

Harry just gave her a hug without saying anything.

Fleur surprised at first ended up hugging him back just as hard.

They then separated to giggling from Gabby over in the corner.

"Open your gifts now Fleur," Appoline asked.

Fleur then went through the gifts that her family and friends had gotten her but stopped when she reached Harry's gift.

It was a simple picture album but when Fleur opened it up it contained some photos of her and Harry.

"It's a self-updating picture album" Harry explained, "You take photos with your friends and they go in there".

Fleur practically flew into his arms "Thank you Aarry" She thanked his profoundly before giving him a quick peck on the cheek,

Harry surprised looked at his mentor who was just sporting a huge grin.

Ignoring what just happened he turned to the rest of the family.

"All right"Sebastian started to speak "Everyone needs to be ready for the ball in twelve hours and until then you can do what you want".

Harry nodded and saw everyone else start to leave before Fleur dragged him up to her room to play some games.

Later on in the day closer to eight at night, Harry stood in the mirror checking out his appearance before heading downstairs.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in" Harry called out.

Mr. Patterson came in the room wearing his own fancy tuxedo "You ready Harry" Before stopping at whistling at his appearance "Looking snazzy their boy ready to impress your French girlfriend" he teased.

Harry raised his eyebrows "How many times do I have to tell you we are not dating".

"And how many times do I need to tell you that you will," Mr. Patterson said grinning" Come on Appoline wants us downstairs to help greet people".

Harry followed his mentor "Who are you going to be dancing with" He asked.

"One of the Appolines friends," Isaac said, "Someone who went to school with me".

Deciding not to ask any questions about that Harry followed Mr. Patterson down the stairs where they saw the Delacours start to greet people.

Appoline noticed them coming down but said nothing and focused on talking to the visitors.

Mr. Patterson started talking to completely random people like a pro although Harry supposed he could have known a few of the people already.

Harry decided to stand next to Fleur who was calmly greeting the few younger people that had come to the villa.

When Harry stood next to Fleur he noticed that she moved closer to him as to get away from all of the people but dismissed that as nothing to worry about that.

After a long time of greeting people, they moved into the kitchen.

There had to be dozens of people standing around and chatting before Sebastian came in and addressed everyone.

"Welcome everyone" His booming voice rang out silencing all conversation "Please enjoy some dinner and then we will start the dance".

Seeing everyone start to sit down Harry started to look for a place to sit before Fleur pulled him over to sit in a chair next to her.

Everyone once they had sat down and started to eat broke into a friendly conversation.

Harry did not really know anyone at the table and the Delcour family and Mr. Patterson were scattered all around the magically expanded table.

So he decided to spend the time talking with Fleur. They conversed in hushed voices throughout the meal before everyone started to get up and head outside.

Heading outside with Fleur he saw that there was a giant patio outside where everyone began to gather.

And then to start the dance Appoline and Sebastian went to the center and started off the event with their own dance.

Harry stood and looked at how impressively the two elder Delcourt waltzed around the platform although he figured they had opened up like that multiple times before.

Soon everyone was clapping as the performance ended and people started pairing up and dancing.

Harry turned to Fleur "May I have this dance Mlady" he asked.

She giggled "Of course my kind gentleman" and she took his hand to start dancing.

Harry was very happy by the fact that despite just learning it recently he was able to dance like Appoline taught him and did not step on Fleurs feet.

After a bit of time had passed and they had gone through a few dances Harry noticed that it seemed to be getting colder outside, He then noticed that Sebastian was waving his wand out into the forest muttering under his breath.

Fleur appeared to be getting colder due to the fact that she was wearing a very thin dress and was currently huddled up against Harry who felt her shivering.

Harry put a hand on her forehead "Your cold" He said, "Do you want to go inside".

"Yes please," Fleur replied.

Harry led Fleur inside and noticed that the clock had passed midnight.

"Do you want to go to bed?" Harry asked Fleur "It is getting pretty late out".

She nodded stifling a yawn.

The two of them started to walk up the stairs before Fleur tipped over going up one of them.

Harry caught her in the nick of time "Fleur are you ok" He asked.

She yawned "Yeah I'm just tired" she murmured.

Harry frowned "Grab onto my shoulder I will help you get into bed safely".

"I can do that on my own Arry," Fleur said unconvincingly.

"Fleur I don't want you passed out before you get to bed," Harry said.

Fleur grubling nonetheless grabbed on to Harry and followed Harry upstairs to their rooms.

"I think I will go to bed with this," Fleur said, "I'm not in the mood to change".

"You sure," Harry asked but helped her get to bed before turning to leave.

A voice called out from behind him "Marry Christmas Arry".

Harry stopped and smiled "Merry Christmas Fleur" Before leaving to go to his own bed.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

December 31st, 1988

France

Harry laid outside gazing at the stars while laying on a hammock in the backyard.

He had already been at the Delcour Villa for close to two weeks now and it shocked him as he realized that they would soon be leaving and heading back to their own lives and he would be heading back to Hogwarts.

These past few days with the Delcour's had been some of the best days of his life so far but alas they were coming to an end for now.

He heard someone coming up from behind him, moving his head around he saw a dark figure approaching him.

It was his good friend Fleur Delacour who was currently wearing her nightgown.

"Arry," Fleur asked, "What are you doing out here".

"Not much" Harry replied, "I just had some thoughts running through my head and wanted a breath of fresh air".

"Hmm" Fleur murmured "You mind if I join you Arry," she asked.

"What," Harry asked broken out of his thoughts "Oh sure," He said absentmindedly.

Fleur slid into the hammock next to Harry which was easily big enough for the two of them.

After they had been laying there some time Fleur began to speak in a soft tone.

"We have to go back soon," she said.

"I know" Harry sighed "I have really enjoyed myself here".

"Yes so have I," Fleur said turning to look at Harry.

Harry turned to look at his friend as she continued to talk."You promise to keep in touch when we get back to school" She asked.

"You bet" Harry assured her.

"Would you like to go on a walk with me Arry?" Fleur asked.

"Sure" Harry shrugged he didn't have anything better to do "In that though".

Fleur giggled "Not in this silly I would change into something else".

"Oh," Harry said, "I knew that".

Harry then got out of the hammock and followed Fleur into the Villa.

"It's New Year's Eve" Fleur pointed out.

"I know" Harry replied, "The year has passed by so fast".

"Before you know it we will be off for summer," Fleur said.

"Yeah" Harry mused "That will be nice".

"Ow would you like to go to the beach with us Arry," Fleur asked.

"Beach," Harry asked, "That seems fine but Mr. Patterson is taking us to Poland I believe".

"We can go after," Fleur told him.

Soon they reached Fleurs bedroom where she changed into clothes more suitable for walking in the woods.

"I don't know my way around here," Harry told Fleur when they stood at the edge of the tree line.

"No worries Arry I have been here many times before" Fleur reassured him "As long as you stay with me you should not get lost".

Harry followed Fleur into the forest trusting her judgment but still keeping his wand at his side just in case.

"You don't need to ave that out Arry" Fleur said spotting his wand out of the corner of her eye "There is nothing harmful in here".

Harry put his wand away reassured at her words and followed Fleur down one of the paths.

It was soothing walking down one of the paths in the night especially so close by Fleur who seemed to be sticking by him very closely,

Looking and seeing Fleur practically hugging him with how close she was standing he smiled."I thought there was nothing to be worried about in here" he asked.

Fleur jumped "ah oh yes I just am not ever really here in the dark ever".

Harry raised an eyebrow "Ok if you say so".

The rest of their little walk consisted of Harry enjoying the sounds of nature around him and Fleur doing her best to show him where to go although she seemed to be very jumpy at the forest noises.

Soon they got back into the Villa and saw Appoline sipping some coffee at the table.

She looked up "Morning you to" she greeted them "Decided to go on a nice walk did you now".

Fleur and Harry nodded and settled down at the table.

"Can you please get your old man up later Harry?"Appoline asked, "We are going over to a friends house for the New Year Celebrations later today".

"Sure," Harry said, "He got back from England then".

Appoline nodded sipping on her coffee "Around midnight".she murmured.

"Where are we going Mama," Fleur asked.

"Do you remember Pierre and his family?" Appoline asked, "They are hosting a few ministry officials over for the celebrations".

"Oh, I remember them," Fleur said "Aunt Cecilines family right".

Appoline nodded "We will be heading their around ten" turning to Harry then "Do you have all of your stuff ready for Hogwarts dear," She asked "We are staying at the Dupont residence until it is time for you to head back to school".

"I have had my stuff ready to go for a little while now," Harry said, "I'm ready to go when everyone else is".

"Good," Appoline said satisfied "There is extra food in the kitchen for the two of you if you want it," she said.

His stomach rumbling he followed Fleur into the kitchen to grab some food.

Harry shook Mr. Patterson to try and get him to wake up.

The older man just grunted before opening his eyes and seeing Harry standing there "Harry why did you wake me I was having such good dreams about some veela who where".

Harry cut him off "I don't think you want to finish that sentence," He said dryly "And Appoline sent me upstairs to wake you up we are leaving for the New Years Party soon".

"Oh Yeah," Isaac said rubbing his eyes "Don't want to get Appoline upset at me for missing that" starting to get out of bed "You can go, Harry, I will be down shortly".

Harry rolled his eyes and strode out of Mr. Patterson's room and stopped to say hi to Fleur.

She was in her room looking at herself in the mirror. Fleur wore a very pretty sequin dress.

"Anyone can see that You look beautiful already Fleur," He said, "you don't need to stand in front of a mirror for an hour to see that".

Fleur jumped "Harry you scared me" she gasped and then calming down "Thank you I want to make a good impression to my father's ministry friends".

"You'll do fine" Harry reassured her "If they don't like you then they're a bunch of idiots".

"Thank you Arry" Fleur thanked him "That is what I keep telling myself".

"Come on"Harry gestured to the hallway "Were leaving soon".

Fleur followed Harry down the stairwell where they meet everyone else ready to go.

"You both ready to go," Sebastian said looking at the clock "Fleur grab on to your mom's arm and Harry you grab onto Isaac we are side apparating there".

"What about our stuff," Harry asked.

"Don't worry about that the house elves have it all moved" Appoline reassured him.

"All right everyone thirty seconds," Sebastian said.

Harry hurried to grab Mr. Patterson's arm and just in time as they were soon whizzed away.

Soon after a few seconds of gut-wrenching movement, they arrived at a splendid mansion.'

An older man and his wife came up to greet Appoline and Sebastian.

As Fleur and Harry got closer to the conversation Sebastian turned to introduce them.

"This is my daughter Fleur Pierre" Sebastian introduced her "And this is her friend Harry".

Pierre looked at the two of them and laughed "Are you sure he's not your son in law" he joked.

Harry and Fleur both blushed as they were trying to stammer out a coherent sentence Pierre stopped them.

"It's ok" He smiled "I'm just joking," he said "Nice to meet you, Harry, I have heard a lot about you from these two" gesturing to the Delcour parents.

"Nice to meet you too sir," Harry and Fleur said both simultaneously before stopping embarrassed again.

Pierre laughed "Nice to meet you too," He said, "Come in we are having quite a nice party".

Harry and Fleur followed their group into the mansion to a large group of people dancing.

"There is a group of younger kids over there if you are interested" Pierre pointed to a group of younger people

"Want to go over" Harry turned to ask Fleur.

"Sure" She shrugged "Why not".

The two of them went over to the crowd and chatted with a few of the people a bit more their age for the next hour or so.

"It's getting closer to midnight," Fleur said looking at the clock "People are starting to head out to the balcony".

"Maybe there will be fireworks out their" Harry pondered "Let's head out there".

Fleur followed him and the rest of the crowd onto the magically expanded balcony.

A few people were standing around looking at the sky but just as much a lot of people were dancing with each other.

"Care to dance Arry," Fleur asked nervously.

Harry looked at her in surprise "Sure".

Fleur and Harry then went on the balcony to dance with the rest of the group until they heard noise.

"Ten" The crowd chanted.

"The New Years Countdown" Fleur squealed.

The two of them joined in the counting.

"Nine"

"Eight"

"Seven".

"Six"

"Five"

"Four"

"Three"

"Two"

"One"

"HAPPY NEW YEAR" Everyone cheered as they welcomed nineteen ninety.

And Fleur kissed him.

**Author Note** Well I have been working on more of a story outline these past few days and I think I have a good 20-30 more Chapters planned out so cheers on that.

Also for those who are into it, I have massive Potter Family chapters coming up soon so stay tuned. And later on down the line, I have a brutal Second Wizarding War planned out for those who want more action from the characters

And to address another thing. The time in between 1988 and 1991 the time period I am on right now has practically nothing written about it from JKR or other authors so I am creating my own timeline. I don't know if that could be considered fluff or not but I feel it is an important part of the story and will continue to write.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

January 3rd, 1989

Northern France

"Are You ready to go Harry" Mr. Patterson hollered up the stairs "We have to catch our portkey on time".

At that same moment Appoline Delcour was trying to get her daughter to hurry up using the bathroom and in her words "Fleur get your pretty arse out here or we're going to miss our bus".

At roughly the same time Harry James Potter and Fleur Isabelle Delacour got out their respective rooms and came down to meet their rides grumbling all the way.

"Ready Mama" "Ready Sir" The two greeted their respective adults.

The group of them meet near the front of the mansion.

Fleur and Harry looked at each other realizing that they would not be seeing the other in person for several months at the least.

Harry's friend then came up and gave him a hug "Au Revoir Harry" She breathed.

Harry hugged Fleur back just as hard. His mind went back to their kiss on new years which Fleur had blamed on her veela hormones

"You to will see each other in the summer," Appoline said, "That won't be so long from now".

Fleur then followed her mother through the fire to head to Beauxbatons.

Harry turned to his mentor "So we are using a portkey to get to the train station" He asked.

"That's right" Mr. Patterson replied holding up a teacup "We have to head outside to a field outside of the wards where we can leave".

Following Mr. Patterson outside Harry waved goodbye to some of the house elf's who passed them on the way out.

Soon they reached a calm meadow which was roughly where they had arrived at a few days previously.

Harry grabbed onto the teacup.

"Hold on Harry" Mr. Patterson warned and they went through the wonders of magical transportation.

The portkey deposited them in front of the Leaky Cauldron and the entrance to Diagon Alley.

After getting his bearings straight Harry turned to his mentor.

"The house elf's got your stuff," Mr. Patterson said, "We are taking a cab to the train station".

Listening to the older man Harry followed Isaac into the Leaky Cauldron.

Mr. Patterson waved to the bartender Tom but kept walking at a brisk pace to the street outside.

Signaling a cab Mr. Patterson held open the door for Harry.

Inside the vehicle, the two got settled for the ride after Isaac paid the driver.

"You ready for school Harry," Mr. Patterson asked him.

"Hmm" Harry murmured "Yeah sure".

Mr. Patterson looked at him "Your sad we had to leave aren't you" he spoke a grin spreading along his face.

Harry looked at him in shock "Am I that transparent" He asked.

Isaac chuckled "Harry anyone could see that you and Fleur were not happy having to go back to school," He said, "It won't be long before the summer though".

Harry chose not to respond to that and looked out the window thinking of his silver-haired friend until they reached the train station.

"Kings Cross" The driver turned to the two of them "Fifteen pounds please".

Mr. Patterson paid the nice chap and they got out to the train station.

"The house elves should have put your stuff on the train already," Mr. Patterson told Harry "It's nice to not have to rush this time".

Harry grimaced as he remembered how him sleeping in before had led to quite a few headaches.

Heading into the train station they walked calmly down the walkway until they reached platform 9 and ¾

"After you," Mr. Patterson said gesturing to the platform.

Harry tried walking into the wall and despite expecting it was surprised when he came out the other end in one piece.

He then remembered that people would be coming up behind him and jumped out of the way just in time for Mr. Patterson to step through.

Following his mentor to the train, he saw Joe and Catherine off in the distance.

"Aren't those your school friends" Isaac pointed out.

"Yeah," Harry told him and waved to them.

"Hey, Harry" Joe said coming up to him "You have a good break".

"Yeah" Harry replied beaming "I had a lot of fun".

"I went to French Riviera," Catherine said, "The beaches there were amazing".

"We went to France too" Harry informed them "Northern France though not where you went".

: I spent break in Greece" Joe told them "It was quite nice over there".

A loud noise soon came from the train.

"You kids had best be moving along," Mr. Patterson told them "The train is leaving soon".

Harry realized he was right and turned to get on the train with the rest of his friends.

Stopping to wave to Mr. Patterson they went to find good seats before the train left.

Tumbling out of the fireplace Fleur Delacour gazed up at the French Ministry of Magic.

Her mother Appoline stood in front of her and reached to help her daughter up.

"Why are we here Mama," Fleur asked.

Appoline looked agitated "Your papa informed me that the floo at the train station is having issues right now so we have to use a different way of transportation to get there".

Nodding Fleur followed her mother out of the chamber they had arrived in.

"You ready for school mon chéri," Appoline asked.

"Yeah" Fleur replied her thoughts elsewhere.

Appoline looked at her daughter and smirked "Your sad that you both have to go back to your own schools"

"What non" Fleur said feeling her face heat up at the question.

"It's ok Fleur," Appoline told her "I'm your mama, I can sense these things".

After being quiet for a few seconds Fleur spoke "It's ok" She said, "Summer will be here before we know it".

"That's the spirit," Appoline told her "Come on".

As they exited the building onto the street Fleurs thoughts were kept on a certain emerald-eyed wizard.

Appoline waved her wand and a bus appeared.

"What is this mama" Fleur asked.

"This is what some magicals use to get around Paris" Appoline explained, "Not a lot of people use it but it can get us to the station".

Paying the person at the front the two veela found a seat.

"Hold on," Appoline warned gesturing to some rails.

Fleur grabbed on and was about to ask what was going to happen before the bus started to move.

The whole bus was incredibly fast but the motions felt worse to Fleur than apparition or Portkeys.

After a gut-wrenching ride, the two of them arrived at the train station.

"You could have warned me mama" Fleur gasped.

Appoline smiled "I did but the shock of it at first is what makes the ride so much fun".

Groaning after catching her breath Fleur followed her mother into the train station.

Soon they were at the train and Fleur saw her friend Cosette.

"Hey Fleur" She called out "Ready for school".

Fleur nodded but then decided to talk with her friend "I suppose so did you ave a good break, Cosette".

"Oui" Cosette grinned "I have a lot to share with you".

Appoline smiled at the two of them "Hurry you two you can catch up on the train".

Fleur turned and hugged Appoline before heading onto the train with Cosette.

"So" Cosette whispered in her ear "How was your time with Arry".

Fleur groaned.

Something told her that this was going to be a very long train ride.

**Author Notes** I have Some things I would like to state and clarify for some people.

1 One thing about my story that I think is unique is that Fleur and Harry would have known each other for a decade from 1985 to their graduation in 1995 which is plenty of time for their friendship to blossom into something more

I understand and very much like the story's where they meet and fall in love almost instantly but I think this is slightly more realistic

2 Harry can not floo out of Hogwarts or the wards would let Dumbledore know

3 I am having Fleur start to develop at this time because girls start puberty at ages 10 to 14 and Fleur's Veela nature would thus accelerate those changes

4 Harry's is spending a lot of time off page studying and learning the theory of how to do a lot of different types of magic and he will soon be able to cast at a very fast rate compared to the others

5 For Harry's salary, I looked at the British Minimum wage of today which is 1,463 per month and rounded it to 1,500

I went off the muggle wages since I did not know the magical minimum wage or if JK Rowling had created one


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

February 5th, 1989

Hogwarts Castle

Despite December having passed the weather was still bloody cold and somehow able to create snow. One morning in early-February, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake had frozen solid. The bad weather this year had also led to several tempers running high.

Harry had started to play wizarding chess with both Joe and Catherine now. He had won against Catherine a few times now until she had roped Joe into playing with her.

And now the chess matches the two had were a lot more even in the results. When Catherine and Joe played there was just as much of a chance that either of them would emerge victorious so that created an atmosphere that was absent in Harry and Catherine's games.

On This Saturday morning, Harry sat in a couch and watched as his friends had a heated game of chess in the Ravenclaw Common Room.

"D2 to D4," Catherine said.

"D7 to D5," Joe countered.

"C2 to C4, "Catherine replied

"Hmmm. Interesting," Harry muttered. "That's the Queen's Gambit." Looking at how their game was structured "Maybe this will be interesting after all."

Catherine and Joe were down to only a few pieces left each. They were surrounded by what felt like the entire Ravenclaw House which had nothing better to be doing on a weekend and it being too cold to go anywhere. The game looked to have been hard fought. Catherine had held her own throughout the game, keeping Joe on his toes the entire time. Joe is lost in thought, trying to think of his next move. He finally says "G7 to F5."

Catherine than smirks and says "B5 to D7." She looks over to Joe, who has a shocked look on his face. She smirks, and says "Checkmate."

Everyone in the common room clapped for the hard-fought match between the two chess rivals.

Harry then decided to go up to the dormitories before someone got the wonderful idea to loop him into one of their games.

Before reaching his bed he looked out of one of the windows.

One thing he noticed about being in one of the tallest areas of the school was that it gave him a good bird's eye view of the castle grounds.

Now that he got a chance to really look outside Harry realized that Hogwarts really looked beautiful in the winter

He had never really gotten to explore much of the castle outside of school activities and his trips to the chamber.

Over Winter Break he had been given an invisibility cloak by his friend Fleur Delacour. It was not to the power that his father James Potter's Invisibility Cloak was but it would still work for what Harry had in mind.

Rushing to his bed he started to rummage through his trunk.

His snake Medusa came out to greet him.

"Hello, Master" He hissed "What are you up to".

Looking around and seeing that no one was in the immediate hearing vicinity he turned to his familiar.

"I am going exploring a bit" Harry hissed.

"Can I join you, Master?"Medusa asked, "I would like a bit of excitement".

Harry chuckled and motioned for Medusa to wrap onto him.

Seeing that Medusa was secured Harry grabbed Fleurs Invisibility Cloak and threw it on.

Downstairs some of the older perfects were shooing the younger kids to bed before they hit curfew.

Harry gulped he had not realized how late it was becoming. He decided nonetheless to go ahead with his little exhibition.

Stepping outside when a student came into the common room Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

He would not be out long and would be back in time before anyone noticed he was gone.

As he began to walk down the corridors his mind drifted as it had several times this past month to his SIlver Haired French Friend Fleur Delacour. He had really enjoyed his time in France over the break and was looking forward to this next summer.

He and Fleur had been bombarded with tons of class work recently so they had very little correspondence recently which was sad but something they would have to deal with as the lessons got progressively harder.

As he was mulling over those topics he saw a door form as he walked past it.

Harry stopped and turned "Where did that come from" Harry muttered under his breath.

Cautiously opening the door Harry walked into an empty room with a covering in the corner.

Curious at what could be in the room Harry walked over and pulled the covering off the object and gasped.

It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

Harry took off the invisibility cloak and moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to see if it had his reflection on it. He stepped in front of had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself screaming. He whirled around. His heart was pounding furiously– for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole group of people standing right behind him.

But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, he turned slowly back to the mirror. There he was, reflected in it looking much older and reflected behind him, were at least four others

,. Harry looked over his shoulder – but, still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was he in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?

He looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right beside his reflection was smiling at him and waving. He reached out a hand and felt the air behind him. If she was really there, he'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but he felt only air – she and the others existed only in the mirror.

She was a very pretty woman. She had silvery blonde hair and her eyes – her eyes were an unmistakable baby blue.

He could recognize those eyes anywhere "Fleur" He gasped.

Harry was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection.

Looking back he realized that there were an older Fleur and Harry in the mirror smiling back at him,

And then Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror and saw other pairs of green eyes like his, other noses like his.

There were Three young girls standing by their side, A blond, brunette and a girl who had hair like Fleurs.

"What is this" Harry gasped astonished.

"Look at the inscription" Medusa hissed to Harry.

"The inscription" Harry murmured looking up at the top of the mirror "What do you mean," Harry asked.

"It's backward master" Medusa hissed.

Harry looked up at the top of the mirror.

Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on "I show not your face but your heart's desire"

"My heart's desire" Harry murmured "What could that mean".

Looking back at the mirror he saw that behind Fleur and the kids he saw several other people.

He was able to identify Appoline and his mom Lily Potter and he thought he saw Max along with some people he did not recognize.

"My Heart's Desire" Harry mused "Could this be my ideal family" looking at his older self standing by Fleur and the girls he noticed how happy and serene they looked.

He wasn't sure what this mirror was supposed to be but he decided he would not tell anyone about it just yet and would try coming back again to see if he could decipher the secrets of the mirror.

Harry did not know How long he stood there, nor did he care. The images did not fade and he looked and looked until a distant noise brought him back to his senses. He couldn't stay here, he had to head back to bed. He tore his eyes away from his family's face, he whispered to them, 'I'll come back,' before summoning Medusa throwing on the invisibility cloak and he hurried from the room.

Author Note Happy Belated Easter to anyone who celebrated it yesterday

I created a poll in my account I'm not sure if it worked or not though.

I was thinking of creating a discord server and I was wondering if there would be any interest in that

Cheers

Patton44


	25. Chapter 24

**Author Note** Wow Two Chapters in a day

Enjoy

Chapter 24

March 23rd, 1989

Hogwarts

Harry was interested in visiting the Chamber again half because he had found very little time to do so with a very exhausting second half of the year and half because Medusa would not stop bothering him about the matter.

"All right"Harry hissed to Medusa "We can go down to the Chamber just let me get the invisibility cloak".

After running to his dormitory and putting the cloak on which Medusa slithered under Harry moved to the second-floor girl's bathroom.

He remembered the mirror on the seventh floor that he had visited a few times over the past month and a half.

Positive by now that the people in the mirror where some idealized version of his life although the presence of several of the potters made no sense to him.

With a lot of mental strength though Harry had realized that the figures in the mirror where for now far in the future and that he should not neglect the people in the present in favor of pursuing a dream.

Soon they reached Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom and Harry hissed the words for them to be able to enter the chamber.

The basilisk after a few times of talking with Harry and Medusa had not bothered them that much.

Harry had been interested in looking at the library in the back of the chamber.

From what he had been able to gather the Chamber had been created a long time ago by one of the Founders of Hogwarts Salazar Slytherin.

The Basilisk had told them that this area had been created by the founder and sealed after his death.

Excited at being possibly the first to visit the sacred area in over one thousand years Harry was interested in some old magic for him to learn and absorb,

Soon after entering the library though Harry had realized a major problem right off the bat.

He didn't know a bloody word of what was on the pages.

Concluding that the books were written in an extremely old form on English he realized that he was not going to be able to read the books unless he could find something to translate old English.

After a few hours of frustration, Harry left the chamber no closer to understanding the bloody material that when he came down here.

He wondered if there was a subtle way he could ask Mr. Patterson or the Delcour's if they had anything in their libraries that could help him understand old English.

A few weeks later they had their first flying lesson for the first years. It had been scheduled for earlier in the year but the flying instructor had been having problems and had been out of school for a couple of months.

At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Joe and the other Ravenclaws hurried down the front steps into the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns towards a smooth lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the Forbidden Forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

The Hufflepuffs were already there, as were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Michael and Bruce Hutchinson complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair and yellow eyes like a hawk.

'Well, what are you all waiting for?' she barked. 'Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up.'

Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

'Stick out your right hand over your broom,' called Madam Hooch at the front, 'and say, "Up!"'

'UP!' everyone shouted.

Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. Joes had simply rolled over on the ground and Catherines hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Harry; there was an uncertainty in Catherine's voice that showed only too well that she wanted to keep her feet on the ground.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows, correcting their grips.

'Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard,' said Madam Hooch. 'Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle – three-two –one-go'

There were gasps of surprise from the surrounding students as their brooms took off into the air.

Harry took off into the air with a grin plastered across his face.

He had tried flying on occasion at Potter Manor when he had some free time and there was no one around but it felt nice this way.

Ever since he had heard about it he was interested in trying out for the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team in his Second Year.

Growing up the second most common story he had heard besides Max Potter and being the boy who lived was how legendary James Potter was in school on a broom.

He did not know if he could exceed James Potter in Quidditch ability but he would give it his best attempt.

Fleur thought he was crazy for wanting to try out for the team but supported his decision nonetheless.

He got the slight impression that she did not like flying.

His thoughts were then interrupted by Hooch signaling them to get back on the ground.

Harry followed the rest of his classmates back to the ground.

For the next hour or so she had them practice various activities that she said would become quite common to anyone who planned to audition for their respective house teams next year.

As the Ravenclaws were walking back to the tower laughing and having a good time Harry felt the locket around his neck start to heat up.

Excusing himself from the group Harry ducked into a nearby room.

Unhooking the locket Harry activated the communication mechanisms.

Fleurs face soon appeared on the screen.

"Hey," Harry said finding himself a seat.

"Hey" Fleur murmured "You have a second".

"Sure," He told her "What's up".

"Not much" She admitted, "Schools hard, I'm bored and I want to talk to my friends".

Harry furrowed his eyebrows "Don't you have Cosette" He asked.

"Yeah," Fleur said, "She's busy though and I have no one to talk to now".

"Sorry to hear that," Harry told her "You doing good in your classes".

"I think so," Fleur told him "As well as I can hope for I suppose".

"That's nice," Harry said, "We just got done with our first quidditch lesson".

"That game" Fleur frowned "Please tell me you did not get hurt Arry".

"No Fleur" Harry said humbled at her concern "We just went up a few feet nothing major".

"What are you doing this now," Fleur asked "We did our practice last year" Shivering at the memory.

"Our Quidditch Instructor had problems," Harry said, "We had to wait for her to get better".

"Oh" Fleur looked worried "Do you know what was wrong with her".

"No Idea" Harry admitted, "The staff was mute on what was going on with Hooch".

"Well I'm glad she is better now," Fleur said.

Harry's response was interrupted by him hearing the door open.

"Got to go," Harry told her "I will talk to you later".

He then closed and turned off the locket

Harry hurried out off one of the side doors before he could run into the person who had entered the classroom

He was then able to slip into the common room and find his friends as though no time had passed at all.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

March 23rd, 1989

Beauxbatons Academy of Magic

"Come on Fleur" Cosette called out to her friend "We don't want to be late to Madame Braudel's Class".

"I'm coming Cosette" Fleur panted catching up to the other girl "Sorry I left some of my stuff in my room by accident" She explained.

Cosette nodded and started to walk with Fleur to class.

Fleur before she could realize it bumped into another girl.

"Watch where you're going" A girl snapped at Fleur

The girl was Micheline Ostermeyer an older student who had the reputation of being known as "The Beauxbatons Ice Queen".

"Hey" Cosette came to her defense "Fleur did nothing wrong you need to watch where you are going".

Micheline snorted "I don't need to do anything for the veela bitch" She sneered at Fleur

Fleur and Cosette gasped at her.

Sebastian had asked Fleur not to deliberately antagonize several of the students whose parents could cause problems for him with his work in the Senate.

But insulting her heritage was too much for even her to take.

Raising her wand she tried out one of the more advanced spells she had tried learning recently "Expelliarmus"

Fleur had apparently though misjudged how much power she put into her spell. Micheline's wand had indeed flown out of her hand and into Fleurs

But somehow the spell also knocked the older girl onto the ground.

Everyone looked at Fleur in shock including the stunned girl on the ground.

"Fleur" Cosette gasped.

A teacher then came up to Fleur "What are you two doing" She yelled at the group.

Micheline started talking "Professor Cezavure the Veela hag attacked me".

"It wasn't her fault professor" Cosette tried to explain "She was provoked".

And then other students in the area decided to try to give their own five knuts.

"All right,Allright" The professor raised her hands and silenced the group "I don't know what is going on here but you two are coming with me to the Headmistress office".

People started to complain about how one person or another was innocent or guilty but were silenced by the professor's glare.

Micheline and Fleur followed Professor Cezavure to Headmistress Maximes office.

The two of them kept glaring at each other before the professor turned back to them.

"Oh grow up you two" She muttered.

Entering Madame Maximes office the two of them stopped to admire it.

Her office was truly impressive and fitting of the Headmistress of one of the three major European Schools of Magic.

"Wait here you two" Professor Cezavure told the girls "The Headmistress will be here soon".

A pit grew in Fleurs stomach as she was able to process what had just happened.

She had not meant to attack the other girl just disarm her. A thought then came to her would Madame Maxime contact her family.

What would they think of her and then a realization came to her about what would Harry think of her.

The thought made her shiver.

Micheline standing next to her also appeared to be quite nervous and in not much better of a state than Fleur was.

The professor came in followed by Madame Maxime.

"Girls" The Headmistress came up to them, "Professor Cezavure told me you two had gotten into an altercation in one of the halls" She looked at them "Is this true".

The two girls had their heads down but reluctantly muttered "Oui".

Madame Maxime motioned for Professor Cezavure to leave and told them to take a seat.

"Do either of you care to tell me about what happened?" The Headmistress said.

Neither of the girls wanted to talk to her.

"Ok" Madame Maxime breathed in "I will have to inform both of your parents then".she informed them.

Both of the girls looked up at her in shock.

They tried stuttering out explanations before Madame Maxime stopped them.

"If you don't want to explain yourself to me then maybe you will be more receptive to your own parents" Madam Maxime explained.

Fleur gulped this was not good.

After what felt like for forever Sebastian and another man came through Madame Maxime's fireplace.

"Thank you for being able to join us on such short notice gentlemen," Madame Maxime told them.

"That is no problem Maxime we just finished a committee hearing," Sebastian told the headmistress.

"What is going on here," The other man asked clearly irritated.

"Well" The Headmistress pursed her lips "Why don't you ask your daughters why they were caught fighting in the corridors"

Sebastian turned to the two of them "Care to explain what happened" he asked calmly but with an undertone of worry.

"She attacked me" Micheline blurted out pointing to Fleur.

"What" Fleur exclaimed, "She provoked me".

"I didn't do anything to the Veela bitch," Micheline said.

Everyone gasped.

"What did you say to my daughter" Sebastian walked up to the pair of them his eyes glowing.

"Don't you dare hurt my daughter Sebastian" The older man snarled at him.

"Relax Senator," Mr. Delcour said dryly turning to the other senator "I am not going to hurt your daughter" Turning to Madame Maxime "Insulting the Veela Race is not acceptable".

"I agree," Madame Maxime said thinking "Do you admit responsibility Fleur for attacking Madame Ostmeyer after she provoked you".

"Than you will both have three weeks of detentions and I will leave anything else up to your parents," she said.

Both of the parents protested at the inadequate amount of the other ones punishment before Madame Maxime stopped them.

"Moisurs," She said, "I brought you in here to inform you about what had happened but at my school, I remain in charge of what punishments the students receive".

Sebastian and Jacques nodded reluctantly still muttering under their breath and glaring at the other and their respective kid.

"You can talk to your daughters later," Madame Maxime told them "They have to get back to have dinner and get back to their rooms before curfew".

The adults nodded and turned to leave.

Sebastian stopped to give Fleur a hug before he left.

"It's ok" He whispered in her ear "I'm not upset with you".

He then followed the other senator through the fireplace.

"To Dinner, you two go then," Madame Maxime said turning to the both of them "And I had better not hear about the two of you getting in any more altercations or you will be sorry do you understand me," she asked.

The two girls nodded understanding what the Headmaster was saying.

Fleur and Micheline left the office before separating in one of the hallways trying to get as far away from the other as possible".

Fleur turned towards the Food Hall to try and find Cosette and talk to her about what had happened before seeing if she could contact Harry.

An hour or so later Fleur was laying in bed feeling dejected.

The altercation with Micheline had not done much to help out her pretty much non existent social life.

A general feeling going around the school was that she had used some mythical Veela powers to attack the older girl because she was trying to steal Micheline's boyfriend or some hogwash like that.

Cosette had not been upset with her but had been busy with a teacher after dinner so she was not able to really talk to her.

Fleur sighed she needed to talk to Harry.

Looking at her clock and doing the time calculations she worked out that Harry should not be in any classes right now and hoped that he was available to talk...

Taking the locket off her neck she opened it and said "Arry Potter".

After it had been going off for a little bit the other end started to open up

Soon the face of her emerald-eyed friend appeared on the screen.

"Hey," Harry said looking like he was finding himself a seat.

"Hey" Fleur murmured "You have a second".

"Sure," He told her "What's up".

Fleurs mind darted to the little incident she had had earlier in the day but decided not to burden him with that information.

"Not much," She said "Schools hard, I'm bored and I want to talk to my friends".

Harry furrowed his eyebrows "Don't you have Cosette" He asked.

"Yeah," Fleur said, "She's busy though and I have no one to talk to now".

"Sorry to hear that," Harry told her "You doing good in your classes".

"I think so," Fleur told him "As well as I can hope for I suppose".

"That's nice," Harry said, "We just got done with our first quidditch lesson".

Ugh, that eternal game that she will never understand and was absolutely terrified of doing.

"That game" Fleur frowned "Please tell me you did not get hurt Arry".She would hate it if he got hurt doing that stupid sport.

"No Fleur" Harry told her "We just went up a few feet nothing major".

A thought then came to Fleurs mind.

"What are you doing this now," Fleur asked "We did our practice last year" Shivering at the memory of the enteral broom.

"Our Quidditch Instructor had problems," Harry said, "We had to wait for her to get better".

Fleur wondered what happened to the professor and if she got hurt or not.

"Oh" Fleur looked worried "Do you know what was wrong with her".

"No Idea" Harry admitted, "The staff was mute on what was going on with Hooch".

"Well I'm glad she is better now," Fleur said.

Harry's response was interrupted by him hearing the door open.

"Got to go," Harry told her "I will talk to you later".

Fleur was able to bid him a last au revoir before he closed the locket connection.

She laid down on her bed and contemplated recent events.

Eventually feeling the telling effects of sheep Fleur allowed herself to drift off to bed early deciding that she would worry about those problems in the morning.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Hogwarts

June 1st, 1989

Harry made his way down to the end-of-year feast alone that night. He had been distracted by a conversation he had been having with Fleur and had almost missed the ceremony.

When Harry arrived he saw that the Great Hall was already full. It was decked out in the Slytherin colors of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the house cup for the fourth year in a row. A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.

He slipped into a seat between Joe and Catherine at the Ravenclaw table and talking with them until Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away. "Another year has gone by!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully, your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts... "Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus

: In fourth place, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and sixteen points; in third, Ravenclaw, with three hundred and fifty-seven; Gryffindor has four hundred and twenty-nine and Slytherin, four hundred and fifty- two." A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table

. Harry could see all of the Slytherins banging their goblets on the table in triumph

Raising to his feet Harry applauded politely for the other house and his fellow classmates.

. "Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore.

. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a smile. plastered across his face.

Harry thought he heard him tell her "I win again Minerva".

As the applause died down and everyone sat down to eat before heading home on the Hogwarts Express Harry's thoughts started to wander to other topics.

He had worked out with Mr. Patterson and the Delacours that Harry would stop by and stay at Potter Manor for a week to ensure that the protective magic of the Potter Family was not lost on him.

Assuming everything went to plan then Harry would go over to Mr. Patterson's shop where they would then floo over to Delcour Manor in France.

They would then be going on several excursions around Europe.

Unfortunately, because he had work to do Mr. Patterson would be unable to travel with them everywhere.

He would take off a few days and go on a mini vacation but he could not be gone for long/

The Delacours more specifically Appoline had agreed to take Fleur and Harry to their various destinations since Sebastian was busy with work.

Their traveling destinations were as such.

One Sunbathing in the French Riviera

Two Visiting one of Mr. Patterson's friends near Krakow, Poland

Three Celebrating Harry's birthday in Spain.

Four Spell Practice with a tutor in Belgium

Five Go shopping for school supplies in Paris version of Diagon Alley.

His thoughts were interrupted by the end of dinner.

Deciding he would think about the summer later he resumed conversations with his friends before heading back to the common room.

Later on in the day with his stuff packed and stored on the train by the house elves Harry followed his friends down to the train station.

"I can't believe the first year is already over" Joe mused "It went by so fast".

"I'm going to miss you both" Catherine told them "''Make sure you write ok".

"Yeah, no problem," Joe told her.

"Will you write us, Harry?"Catherine asked him.

"Sure," Harry said, "I think I can do that".

Catherine suddenly hugged him "Good" She whispered, "I will look forward to those then".

Harry was confused where did his friend's sudden bout of affection come from.

"We don't have to separate yet you know Catherine" Joe told her.

Catherine rolled her eyes "Yes I know Joe I just like to think ahead'".

Getting on the train the three of them found themselves a compartment.

Soon they were joined by other students their year who stopped to say hi and talk.

They eventually ended up sitting with Kathryn Leukart, Cole Dawson and Christopher Schaffer.

The train ride was nice enough and the conversations were quite entertaining but Harry felt impatient to "get on the road" as the saying goes.

After several hours of conversation and playing games such as wizarding chess and exploding snap the train pulled into the station.

Stepping out of the train dragging their bags along with them the group gazed out at the group of mingling students and parents.

"You ready for summer," Joe told all of them.

"You bet," Harry said locating Mr. Patterson standing on the outside of the crowd waiting patiently.

Harry told his friend's Joe a friendly handshake and a full-throttled hug with Catherine Harry turned to approach Mr. Patterson

"Have a good year?"Mr. Patterson asked.

"Yeah" Harry replied, "I'm ready for the summer now though".

Isaac laughed "I figured you would with me we will talk where there are fewer people around".

Reaching one of the isolated sections of the platform Mr. Patterson held out what Harry figured was a portkey.

And his house elf came and took Harry's bag before his attention returned to the portkey.

Grabbing onto the small piece of rope Harry felt himself being whisked away.

Soon they reached the inside of the shop.

Steadying himself Harry got accumulated to his surroundings after having been gone for a long period of time.

"You got the schedule down," Mr. Patterson asked him.

"Yeah," Harry said, "I have to go to Potter Manor first".

"Yes," Isaac nodded in the affirmative "You stay there for a week and then come back over here and we will then go to meet the Delacours in France".

Harry nodded he did not like having to go back to see the Potters now but he would do what he had to do for their security.

"Your stuff is at Potter Manor," Isaac told him "I will see you in a week".

Harry gave Isaac a quick hug before walking to the fireplace and saying in a clear voice as he threw the floo powder in "Potter Manor".

Coming out of the fireplace in a rush of flames Harry looked around the manor.

It looked pretty much the same as it had when he was here nearly a year ago.

Today was a weekday so he did not expect to see either of his parents at home that day.

That idea was soon broken by a voice from nearby Harry.

He wheeled around and saw his brother standing by the doorway.

"Hello," He said awkwardly "How are you doing today Max".

"I'm doing good," His brother said, "You got back from Hogwarts didn't you".

Harry looked at him in shock he did not know that his family was aware of what he had been doing outside the house.

"They don't really know about you and Hogwarts" Max explained "I saw you leave," He told him.

"You did," Harry asked mentally kicking himself on his stupidity he had exhibited in his haste.

"Yeah," Max said, "I was curious about where you were going and figured out that you must have traveled yourself to the train station".

"I just finished my first year at Hogwarts" Harry decided to tell his brother.

"How was it," Max asked him "I want to know a bit about magic before I go there myself in a few years".

"Sure" Harry shrugged "I can tell and show you a few things".

He figured he could share some things about Hogwarts with his brother before he left for France.

Harry then followed Max up to his room.

"So" He turned and asked his brother "What would you like to know".

**Author Note** Well I tried to include a small Potter family section in this part.


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Potter Manor

June 8th, 1989

"Do you really have to go Harry" Max Potter pleaded with his brother.

Harry had now been at Potter Manor for about a week now.

It actually was quite a pleasant time, to be honest.

He had spent much of the week in various rooms catching up with his brother and it had been surprising how different he seemed.

Lily and James had been absent for much of the week having been busy with work at the ministry.

So Harry had thus spent much of the past couple of days chatting with his brother and telling him all about Hogwarts.

It was shocking when you removed the fame and acknowledgment of being the Boy-who-lived and just talked to Max Potter the person as a normal kid just how ordinary he seemed to be.

His parents though were a completely different matter though.

On the few occasions that they had been home they had did what they had done in the past quite well, Ignore Harry Potter.

He would admit that he did not expect them to ask about everything he had been up to. They did not know about anything he had done with his friends in the past or over this summer.

It still stung slightly that they did not ask him at all about how his year had been or what he was going to be doing for the summer.

He had explained to his brother that he would be going to do various activities with his friends over the summer. Max had been accepting of what he was doing and promised not to share with Lily and James but Harry could still see that he was sad that his brother was leaving.

With a pang, Harry realized that if you stripped away the fan club of the boy who lived Max Potter was a very simple person with not a lot of true friends.

He decided that he would send Max something special for his birthday.

Finally, though the day of Harry's departure had arrived.

Lily and James were at work and Max and Harry were standing in the front entryway near the fireplace.

"Sorry I got plans for the next couple of months" Harry explained to his younger brother.

"Ok," Max said sadly "Have fun".

"You too," Harry said and awkwardly gave his brother a hug before turning to the fireplace/

Stepping into the grate Harry took a handful of Floo powder and in a strong and confident voice threw it in "Patterson Shop".

Soon he arrived in Mr. Patterson's shop.

Looking around and not seeing the older man around he decided to look around.

Mr. Patterson came out from behind one of the shelves.

"Harry," He said seeing him in the entryway "Your early".

"Yeah," Harry told him "I didn't want to be late this time".

"Good idea" Isaac nodded "You got your stuff over here".

"I gave it to the Fleurs house elves earlier," Harry said.

"Ok," Mr. Patterson went to one of the back shelves and picked up a muggle pipe.

"You ready to go," He asked.

Harry nodded and grabbed onto the pipe.

They then went through the wonderful experience of traveling by portkey before arriving on a windy hillside.

Harry was proud of the number of times he had been practicing doing this. Thus he was able to travel by portkey and not fall on his arse every time.

Looking around at the open moor he turned to Mr. Patterson "Did we arrive in the right place" He asked.

"Yes," Isaac replied "The Delacours place is over this hill and a bit of a walk away".

Walking up the hill Harry looked down upon a large ocean off in the distance and a surrounding town.

"Welcome Harry to the French Riviera," Mr. Patterson said raising his hands in the air.

"Say," Harry asked, "An older student in my house was talking about the French Riviera and the unsavory kind of people that visit them".

Isaac laughed "You mean the nudist beaches," He said, "We're not going there today, The Delcour Parents agreed with me that that would not be a good idea for now".

Harry blushed at the images but followed his mentor down the hill.

"Do you know where going then?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Mr. Patterson said holding up a thin sheet of paper "I have the address right here".

They then started walking along the street looking for the Delacours Place.

They soon reached what looked to be a small flat.

"Is this it?" Harry asked Mr. Patterson.

"Yeah," Mr. Patterson said looking down at the address "This is the place".

They walked up and knocked on the door.

The door opened and a figure flew into Harry's arms.

Blinking Harry looked down and saw his friend Fleur Delacour giving him a big hug.

"Hey" He murmured reaching down to rub her back.

She blushed slightly before getting off him after Mr. Patterson gave an awkward cough.

A figure soon came out of one of the back hallways.

It was Appoline.

"Harry, Sebastian," She said, "Nice to see you could make it".

She came up and greeted them warmly giving them a hug and a peck on the cheek.

"Come in, Come in," She said.

"Thank you Appoline" Isaac thanked her as he and Harry came off a took off their shoes in the front hallway.

Appoline and Isaac started walking to one of the back rooms followed by Fleur and Harry.

"Where's Sebastian "Harry asked not seeing the older man as they walked into the room which looked like a living room.

Appoline sighed "He had a committee meeting this morning," She said, "He should be back sometime tonight".

Harry noticed that both Fleur and Appoline seemed bitter at that fact.

Isaac sensing the mood decided to change the subject."You kids ready for the beach" He asked.

"Yeah" They both cried out as the atmosphere in the room brightened significantly.

Appoline smiled "Well it's still early enough in the day then" she pointed out "If you get changed now I think you can have a bit of time out in the water before dinner".

Fleur and Harry agreed before Fleur offered to show him his room and where the house elf's put his stuff.

"Thanks, Fleur," Harry said happily following her up the stairs.

His friend led him to an open room with two suitcases on the ground.

"We just got here recently" Fleur explained, "Have not had much time to unpack yet".

Harry shrugged "My stuff is in this one," He asked.

"Don't you know your own bag silly" Fleur teased.

"Well sorry," Harry said "I wanted to make sure" raising his eyes at their bantering.

"Where do we change then," Harry asked.

Fleur pointed to a side door "There's a bathroom in there that we can use" She explained.

"Who goes first then" He wondered out loud.

"Do you mind?" She asked.

"No, No," He told her "You can go first if you want".

"Thank you Arry," She said before grabbing her stuff and running into the bathroom.

Harry then sat down on one of the chairs and looked around.

He had been looking forward to this time for quite some time now.

The inside of all of the places that the Delacours visited seemed to be quite elaborately decorated.

Harry was not much into art but even he could acknowledge good work.

Realizing in comparison how different Potter Manor was compared to this.

Although he figured Potter Manor was probably the way it was because of Lily Potter's muggle background.

After a few minutes of looking around Harry heard the bathroom door open.

Fleur came out wearing a gold swimsuit that looked quite good on her.

Despite her age, she had already started to develop in quite a nice way.

In a few years when they where proper teenagers Harry could tell that Fleur was going to be quite a beautiful woman.

And that helped Harry feel really grateful that they were still friends.

"You can go now Arry" Fleur motioned to the bathroom.

Harry after acknowledging her moved to get his stuff and went into the bathroom almost silently.

After changing into his swimsuit Harry went back out to the room.

Fleur grinned upon seeing him come out and together they went back down to the adults laughing as they share stories about their year.

Downstairs Isaac and Appoline were in their swim outfits having a conversation when they saw the kids approach.

"You're done," Appoline said, "Ready to go".

Fleur and Harry nodded before following the adults outside.

They walked for about twenty minutes before arriving at a relatively quiet section of the beach with some chairs set up.

Upon Arriving at their place the four of them gathered to talk.

"Ok kids," Appoline told them "You can go have fun now".

"What are you going to be doing," Harry asked.

"We are going to be talking," Mr. Patterson said, "I'm a bit too old to be out in the waves by this point".

"Enjoy yourself, kids," Appoline said

Before the two of them could go into the waves though Appoline stopped them.

"Oh wait I almost forgot," She said, "You need sun protection".

She took her wand and moved it over Fleur and Harry muttering several incarnations.

"Ok now you can head out," She told them.

Fleur then grabbed his hand and pulled him out into the water.

Harry grinned and began to play several water games with his friend.

And the two of them then truly enjoyed the fun and wonder of childhood.

**Author Note** To Clarify a few things

1 Harry is building a sort of relationship with his brother but he still has a bad relationship with his parents.

They don't really appear in depth for a couple more years though.

I won't try and give too much away but I am shooting for a middle ground with the Potter Family

Don't want to go to either extreme on the spectrum (A Quick Forgiveness or Harry hates them for all of his life)

2 I know someone will want to say something about Veela and water so

1 JK Rowling never specified that Veela could not swim in the water per se.

2 I think swimming a calm ocean is different from the Second Task.

3 At various points throughout the story, there will be multiple love triangles.

4 Sebastian is the Opposition Leader in the French Senate and is thus quite busy at the moment as the second in line for the Ministry


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

June 15th 1989

Porquerolles,France

"Your serve Arry," Fleur said before knocking a ball across the net towards her friend Harry Potter.

Harry rushed to try and hit the ball back to her.

Fleur then failed to get the ball on time.

"Aww" She pouted: You win then".

"I believe 5-3 is considered winning the game so yes" Harry grinned cheekily.

Rolling her eyes Fleurs response was interrupted by Appoline calling them from further up the beach.

"Kids Dinner" She called out.

They waved to let her know that they had heard her before collecting their stuff.

"Goodgame Fleur," Harry said reaching over to congratulate her.

Fleur instead of the handshake he was expecting leaned in and gave him a hug.

He grinned at what they had been doing more and more recently.

Not sure what it would end up in he just remained content in enjoying the feelings.

The two of them hurried to get back to the beach house.

Coming in the door laughing they were met by Appoline who smiled at their messy appearance.

"You two look like you had fun" She smiled "Go upstairs get a shower and then I will have dinner ready when you come back down".

"Ok, Mama" Ok Appoline" The two of them rushed upstairs to get clean.

Fleur and Harry then went into their own rooms and got in their showers

As Harry washed the dirt and sand off his mind drifted to thoughts about this past week.

Compared with the last time he had visited a coastal area they had gone to see a lot more things this time around.

He had spent much of the time playing various beach games with Fleur.

They had tried doing virtually everything they could think off in terms of activities and had gotten a lot done in a relatively short period of time.

And that was another thing that had been passing through his mind in the past couple of days and really quite a while before that.

Fleur Delacour.

He did not really know what it was about her that made her so irresistible and fun to be around.

Her Veela nature despite not having fully matured yet he knew was not the source of his thoughts.

She was truly a wonderful person that made Harry feel like when he was with her he was the king of the world.

And yet he could not fully understand what she saw in him as a friend.

He was just the brother of the boy who lived.

"Why would she be more interested in me than in Max" Harry mused.

Noticing that he had been in the shower for long enough he got out and dried himself off.

Looking at himself in the mirror he stopped to look.

He looked about average he supposed nothing extraordinary.

Fleur in a couple of years when she had fully matured would be the literal definition of a goddess on earth.

Would she then want to be seen with someone much less than her in the looks department.

He wondered if he could improve to keep up to Fleur.

Resolving to enquire to several people about exercise regimes he got his clothes on and went downstairs.

Everyone was waiting at the kitchen table for him.

"Finally," Fleur noticed him "You take to long in the shower Arry".

"Hey" He protested "I like to take my time getting ready I will have you know".

Mr. Patterson came out of one of the back rooms alongside Sebastian.

"Your back," Harry noticed his mentor.

"Yeah," Isaac said noticing him "It was a slow day so I stopped by to say hi Francois here.

"Francois," Harry asked confused noticing Fleurs giggle.

"Yeah, this guy, "Isaac said pointing at Sebastian.

Harry blanched "Only you could get away with referring to the French Senate Minority Leader by his middle name," He said.

Sebastian decided to change the subject "You kids ready to go to Poland" He asked.

"Oui Papa," Fleur said, "I hope it is not cold outside there".

"It's the summer Fleur," Appoline told her "You will be fine".

"Who is taking us," Harry asked.

"I am taking you guys along with Appoline" Isaac explained.

"The guy you are going to see is a family friend," Sebastian told them "We all go back a long time".

"We leave in an hour," Isaac said looking at the clock "Make sure you are ready to go by then".

"Who is looking over Gabby then," Fleur asked.

"She is coming with us," Appoline said.

Fleur seemed to blanch when hearing that.

"Go get your stuff ready," Isaac told them "We leave in a little while".

Harry and Fleur then went back up the stairs chit chatting between them about what they thought Poland and the dude they were going to meet were like.

About an hour later Fleur and Harry were outside in a clearing with Isaac, Appoline and a squirming Gabrielle Delacour.

"Say, Isaac," Appoline asked, "Could you possibly take Fleur and Harry, I want to take Gabby with me so that there is not an accident".

"Sure," Isaac said after thinking for a second, "I think I can do that".

"Ok," Appoline said and after focusing disappeared with Gabby.

Isaac turned to the two kids "Ok I got Sebastian to get us a Portkey" He said holding out a large sock.

"Grab on," He said.

Fleur and Harry took edges of the sock and held on for dear life.

After experiencing the all too familiar feeling of flying through a portkey they made landfall.

And what a landfall it was as the two kids ended up landing on top of one another.

Harry had hit the ground first with Fleur falling on top of him.

The first thing Harry saw thus after shaking his head and opening his eyes were baby blue eyes staring back at him,

Fleur was looking at him in a weird way that he could not recognize.

Behind her, he saw Appoline, Isaac, and Gabby looking down upon the pair of them.

That caused him to realize how close his mouth was to her lips.

Isaac gave a small cough.

Startled the two of them practically jumped off of each other.

That ended up with the two of them helping the other one up.

Both of them ended up blushing but turning to talk with their parents.

"You good" Isaac asked raising an eyebrow.

That caused both of them to heat up.

Appoline seeing the two of them struggle decided to help them out.

"Let's go," She said, "We want to meet up with Vlasov soon".

Gabbie looked at the two of them with big wide eyes and looking slightly confused.

Following the rest of the group they soon reached an old manor.

Isaac knocked on the door.

A big burly man opened the door and grinned when he saw Isaac and Appoline.

"My friends" He cried "You made it come in, come in".

Stepping into the Eastern European Mansion the kids looked around in astonishment at the architecture.

After greeting the adults the man turned to Harry, Fleur, and Gabrielle.

"So nice to see you, kids," He said, "My name is Andrei Vlasov pleased to meet you".

Harry and Fleur then answered in almost complete synchronization "'Harry Potter" Fleur Delacour".

That fact was not lost on the adults in the room.

"Nice to meet you two," Andrei said shaking their hands before turning to Gabby "And what is your name little one'.

"Gabby" She squeaked looking with big round eyes at the large man.

"Nice to meet you all" Andrei said "Your house elf's left your stuff upstairs if you want to go get some of it," He told them.

"Yes, I would like to change," Harry told Andrei.

"You go do that and then we can have dinner together," He said before calling out a polish name.

"Here," Andrei said 'Kerbal will show you to your room," He said.

"Thank you, sir," Harry and Fleur said before following the house elf upstairs.

Gabby tried to follow them before they realized that she was still too young to be going up all of those stairs.

Fleur ended up then carrying her sister up the stairs and to the room with their stuff

**Author Note** I can't believe I have already been at this story for a month now

And so far as of the time of writing I have 123 Reviews,550 Followers,307 Favorites and 7 Communities along with 93,940 Views from 103 countries

That just blows my mind on the level of interest people have in this little story.

I do this for fun so the interactions and comments really do mean a lot to me.

Even if I don't respond to all of your comments I read them all and take them into consideration for the future.

Thank you so much for all of the support

See you next chapter.


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

June 16th, 1989

Krakow, Poland

Fleur groaned as she awoke to a tiny figure jumping on the bed.

"Ugh" She moaned before focusing and seeing her little sister Gabrielle Delacour apparently trying to wake her up.

"What are you doing up Gabby," She asked, "It's still 6:30 in the morning".

"I want to play" She squealed."I want to play with my big wother and wister".

Her words then registered with Fleur "Wait big brother" she asked.

"Arry," She told Fleur.

"Arry" Fleur blinked "Is he up then".

Gabby nodded.

"Ok" She finally said, "I will be up in a second".

Gabby squealed in delight and ran out of the room.

"I do not understand that kids energy" Fleur murmured shaking her head before getting dressed.

As she got her stuff on and looked into the mirror her thoughts started to wonder.

Her friend Harry Potter was a like enigma that would not reveal its secrets to her just yet.

The summer had been going wonderfully so far.

For the past week or so she had spent time playing various games with her friend.

Despite having done those games multiple times before it was somehow different doing them with Harry.

It may sound weird to some but when they were together she felt safe, secure and truly happy.

She also could not understand why on earth he would be interested in hanging out with her.

She had practically no friends outside of her family.

Cosette hung out with her but Fleur was not really sure where her preferences lay.

And she seemed to have an uncanny ability to deflect criticism and the hostile looks her classmates gave her.

Maybe Cosette could give her some advice on how to deal with that stuff.

Most people Fleur meet either were scared of messing with her because of her father or because they thought that she would ensnare them with some magical veela powers.

Harry was not like that for some reason though.

He seemed to get along fine with Sebastian and not get scared off by him as others would.

And despite knowing about her veela nature and what that entailed he still talked to her as though she were just another random girl on the block.

And another thing was their level of magical capability.

Her parents had spent time teaching Fleur how to properly cast several spells that still took her in some cases months to learn.

Harry though was self-taught in his magical skills and was able to learn spells at a much faster rate than her.

They were supposed to be learning several types of spellcasting today from Papas friend a former dueling instructor.

The goal was to learn several ways of moving and casting that would make you more fast and agile during a duel.

And the fact that she would be practicing with Harry did not do any good to her nerves.

She desperately wanted to show to him that she could hold her own in a fight.

Finishing getting ready Fleur headed downstairs to get some breakfast.

Surprisingly a lot of people were up already.

Harry and Gabby were on one of the sofas laughing as they played a game it seemed.

Her friend then waved as he saw her approach.

"Hey Fleur" He called out "You must take a while to get ready" basically repeating her words from the previous night.

Mumbling under her breath Fleur joined everyone in the living room,

"Good Everyone is up now," Andrei said coming into the room.

"You ready for some practice Harry," Mr. Patterson asked.

"Yeah, .what are we doing" Harry inquired.

"I am going to be having a mock duel with Isaac first," Andrei told him "You aren't expected to know all of the spells yet but you can learn a bit if you look at our forms".

"And then what," Fleur asked.

"We have a few basic spells that you can work together to try and do" Mr. Patterson explained."And then you can try them on each other if you so wish'.

"When do we start," Harry asked looking quite excited.

"Eat first," Andrei said 'And then we will head to the dueling room".

About an hour or so later their group stood in an open room with a large ring in the center of it.

"This is a Beginners Dueling Ring" Andrei explained, "You go in it and can shoot at each other without causing any harm".

"Ill duel with Andrei first and then we can show you some stuff," Mr. Patterson said walking into the ring.

The two older wizards stood across from each other in the ring.

"Can you be the starter Appoline" Mr. Patterson called out.

"Ok," She said "Five, Four, Three, Two, One".

Fleur watched as the two wizards bowed to each other and when Appoline landed on one they started firing at each other.

Harry and Fleur then blinked in surprise at how fast the duel progressed into an extremely fast match.

Both Andrei and Mr. Patterson fired multiple spells at each other in rapid unison.

_'Avis, Incarcerous, Alarte Ascendare, Anteoculatia, Cantis, Carpe Retractum"_ Andrei spat at Mr. Patterson in rapid succession,

_"Colovaria, Crinus Muto, Ducklifors, Duro, Everte Statum, Expelliarmus"_ Mr. Patterson then returned the volley of spells in just as fast of a manner.

The two then rushed around the platform firing spells at each other with an incredibly fast rapid-fire movement before dodging the jinx cast by their opponent.

They also cast what seemed to be a shield that blocked a lot of shots.

Fleur felt uneasy watching even this small duel and looked to her side and saw Harry watching the match with his full attention.

Soon after a few minutes of dueling and with a flick of his wand Mr. Patterson knocked Andrei's wand out of his hand.

"Ok, Ok" He cried out "I concede, I concede".

The two of them turned and seeing the children's wide eyes gave a bow.

They all clapped for the good show before the two wizards reached the rest of the group.

"All Right the first spell you guys can try is Expelliarmus the disarming charm.

Fleur then had her memories go back to the whole incident at Beauxbatons with Micheline.

"Fleur already knows that spell," Appoline said looking at her daughter probably remembering their stern conversation from months ago" I taught her".

"Ok" Andrei shrugged "You try it then Harry a simple swish and flick"

Harry took and raised his wand and "Expelliarmus".

Nothing came out.

After a few tries, Fleur realized what Harry was doing wrong.

"Try with your other hand Arry" Fleur suggested coming up and moving his arm to the right position.

She felt a light tingle go down her spine at the slight touch.

"Ok thanks, Fleur" Harry smiled at her before saying "Expelliarmus" in a loud voice and with a swift hand movement.

To their surprise, the spell worked then.

"Well done Harry" Andrei congratulated him "You are a fast learner".

"Or because you have a great teacher" Mr. Patterson grinned looking at the two of them.

"All right," Andrei said 'I have some more spells I would like to show you".

About a couple of hours later Fleur and Harry stood across from each other on the platform.

After a lot of practice, they had both agreed to try out some of their spells on each other.

Fleur now thought that may have been a bad idea in the first place.

"Ok" Andrei stood looking over the two of them "On my count see who could disarm the other first".

As Fleur and Harry bowed and stood to face each other Fleur felt queasy.

She knew it was just a simple disarming charm but she was finding it hard to raise her wand on her best friend.

It would be horrible for it to turn out like a repeat of what had happened with Micheline.

As they stood there they heard Andrei count down.

"Five, Four, Three, Two, One" He called out.

Fleur made her decision.

Harry's spells shot out of his wand and knocked her wand out of her hand.

She never said anything.

Everyone looked at her.

"Are you ok Fleur?"Appoline asked, "You didn't say anything".

Fleur turned to Harry "I'm sorry Arry I couldn't raise my wand against you" voice shaking slightly.

Harry frowned but softened his expression and nodded in agreement.

Appoline seemed deep in thought before "I think we are good for today" She said, "Let's go have lunch".

The group of them walked silently into the hallway.

Later on, that night as everyone else was busy with other things Appoline and Fleur sat chatting on one of the couches.

"What was the problem today," Appoline asked her daughter "You're not normally like this".

Fleur twirled a strand of her hair absentmindedly.

Appoline sighed "You didn't want to hit your boyfriend did you: She said softly.

"Mama" Fleur gasped "Arry is not my boyfriend," She protested...

"He will be eventually," Appoline said sighing "You two don't know how cute you are together: She said, "It's amusing at times".

Fleur chose not to respond to that.

"It ok Fleur you still have enough time to work everything out," Appoline told her daughter.

Finally "Your fine with us being friends," Fleur asked.

"Yes," Appoline smiled "We are glad you have found a friend who is not bothered by veela," She said, "Although no dating until you are fifteen or sixteen though".

"Oui, Mama," Fleur said.

"You don't have to face Harry in our little sessions though if you don't want to Fleur," Appoline said, "I can see that you are both reluctant to hex each other".

"Thank you, Mama," Fleur said to her mom waves of relief washing over her.

"No problem," Appoline said before seeing the time "You need to get to bed little lady, its a new day tomorrow".

Fleur gave her mom a good night hug before running upstairs to her and Gabbys bedroom

**Author Note** Ok so I want to clarify something

1 Fleur and Harry will not be involved with anyone else in this story.

2 By a love triangle, I mean that there will be two men/women interested in the same woman/man and those pairings will all have a significance when we get to the war.


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Poland

July 15th, 1989

Harry stood by one of the windows looking out at the surrounding Polish Countryside.

They had already been in Krakow for about a month now and the time just seemed to fly by.

Andrei had taught him so much about dueling.

Isaac had been quite busy with work in England and Fleur and Appoline had been having several "secret" conversations in a few of the rooms about Merlin knows what.

So with not much to do then except play with Gabby Harry had spent hours with the older Polish wizard.

He had learned a multitude of different spells as well as various ways to duel

Andrei had also introduced him to various exercise programs to help train his body as well as his skills.

The most important one that Harry wanted to focus on especially when he got back to Hogwarts was stamina.

On one of their first days, Andrei had had him run simple laps around a large pond in the back of his manor,

The idea had seemed quite simple at first but the problem with constant running. After a bit of time doing that Harry had realized that running was tiring.

Having come from a well of family had left him in a pretty poor shape when it came to the excise department.

After talking with Andrei he had gotten several ideas that he could use to work on his stamina when he was at school.

They had also gone over several other techniques to help him get better.

Andrei had rather out of the blue introduced him to the wonders of the stunning spell.

The older wizards idea was that he wanted Harry to start to work on dodging objects or spells that were coming at him.

So he had decided to see how many stunners Harry could dodge before getting tired.

And Harry had to admit that despite his initial concerns their little game had actually turned out to be quite fun in a weird sort of way.

Jumping around a trying to avoid the spells definitely got his adrenaline rushing.

Of course, his dodging skills to put it bluntly sucked but he was working on it ever so slowly.

Andrei had been impressed by his work ethic and had tested him quite a lot and faster than he would with anyone else in his situation.

Over the past month, his rate of dodging had gone up from getting hit every one or two stunners to being able to doge at for at least every five stunners.

And even that number was achieved before Andrei started casting at a much faster rate than he had before.

All in all, it had proved to be an interesting past month.

Harry had also looked through the library that Andrei had in the back of his manor and had found quite a few interesting things.

When searching through the books he had found a book about ancient languages.

He would not be quite sure until he could get back to Hogwarts and could double check his theory but he thought that the book could help him decipher the stuff he found in the chamber.

Hearing noise coming from further back in the kitchen Harry decided to see who was up.

Their group was standing in front of the manor before they headed to Spain.

Isaac had unfortunately been busy with work back in England so thus Appoline was the one watching over them all.

The other day they had brought Gabby to her grandparent's house who had just returned from a vacation in South America.

So now it was just Apolline, Fleur and Harry left in their group for the most part.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality Andrei," Appoline said warmly "It's been a great time".

"Yeah thanks," Fleur and Harry said giving Andrei a hug.

"Your welcome," He said, "Have a good time and remember what we worked on Harry".

"I will" Harry promised "Thanks for all the help".

Andrei waved as Appoline held out a portkey for the kids to grab a hold of.

Touching the portkey with Fleur they were soon whisked away.

They arrived in a wooded grove.

"Stick close to me kids," Appoline said, "You don't know Spanish and we are going into a muggle area now".

She then waved her wand and their clothes changed before their eyes.

Harry was soon then dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt. and Fleur in the same color blouse and skirt.

After looking over themselves they looked at Appoline.

"Sorry," She said, "I forgot that you should probably wear clothes more suitable for muggles than wizards".

They nodded that made sense.

." Ok" Appoline pulled out a piece of paper "Now to find our hotel".

As that they started walking through the city which they found out was called Toledo.

To the kids, the street signs made absolutely no sense.

"Mama," Fleur asked, "Can we call a cab".

"Non" Her mother replied shaking her head "It's a nice challenge and you two need the exercise".

Harry rolled his eyes Had she been paying attention to what he had been doing for the past month.

Appoline said she knew some Spanish to communicate with the locals. The next hour and a half of wandering due to faulty directions sorely shook his faith in Mrs. Delcour's language abilities.

Eventually, after several gray hairs and wrong turns, they finally arrived at their hotel.

And thank Merlin the receptionist seemed to speak multiple languages.

Appoline chatted with the woman in French and she was able to find their accommodations.

"Mrs. Delcour," The woman said, "Your room for you and your children is ready".

Harry wanted to point out that he was not one of Appolines brood but was not able to come up with the words.

"All right let's go, kids," Appoline said corralling them all upstairs.

Reaching their room Harry stepped inside.

It was not as large or spacious as a magical bedroom but was still pretty impressive.

There was a standard king size bed in the center of the room along with what looked like an entrance to a bathroom a mirror, some cabinets, and another door.

"There are two rooms here" Appoline explained, "Harry you will sleep in this room and Fleur and I will be in the next room".

Looking around the room the only thing Harry could say was "Impressive".

Appoline chuckled "Indeed" Turning to Fleur "And we have a room beyond the door pretty much the same as this one it may be a bit larger for two people".

Fleur nodded still gazing around.

Appoline looked at the clock "It's late now you two should go to bed and we will explore tomorrow".

Fleur and Harry nodded at that statement and went to the bathrooms in their respective rooms to get unpacked and ready for bed.

It felt like they had gotten to the hotel at the right time as they heard it start to rain and start what looked like a thunderstorm.

Later on, during the night, Harry awoke to the feeling of being extremely groggy and grumbling at the thunderstorm going on outside.

And then he felt arms around his waist.

Freezing he moved his head around and came face to face with a sleeping Fleur Delacour.

By sheer luck, he avoided crying out at the shock but only just.

What was she doing in his bed?

He had heard from Sebastian once that Fleur did not like thunder...

But that would not explain what she was doing in his bed holding onto him like a bloody teddy bear.

And then he saw someone else out of the corner of his eye.

It was Appoline.

She was looking at the two of them with a look in her eyes Harry could not identify.

He was shocked when she then raised her finger to her mouth gave a "quiet" sign and moved back to her own room.

Harry's attention then returned to the figure currently snuggled into his chest.

She seemed to have a firm grip and didn't want to let go.

Sighing and realizing that it would probably not be a good idea to try and wake up Fleur for something like this.

He then tried his best to drift off back to sleep.

The last thing he noticed was the clock that read 2:31.

"Bloody Great".


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Leon, Spain

July 31st, 1989

"Wake up " A soothing voice enticed the young man into the world of the awake.

"Ugg" He groaned at the intruding voice that was waking him from his slumber.

He blinked in surprise as he opened his eyes and saw his good friend Fleur Delacour looking down upon him.

"Fleur" He moaned "What the" In his surprise then he tried to jump to his feet not realizing how bad of an idea that was with someone right above him.

The two of them ended up bumping heads into each other.

Harry fell back on the bed shortly followed by Fleur falling on his chest.

Stunned Fleur shortly got back up to her feet.

"Sorry Arry," She said, "I wanted to wake you up for your birthday".

"Oh yeah" Harry realized looking at the clock "I suppose that is today"

"Indeed silly," Fleur said in her little sing-song voice "Mama got a cake for you".

"Thanks," Harry told her and then realizing where they still where "Can you get off me so I can get dressed Fleur".

"Oh yes," She said hopping off the bed and onto the floor.

Ever since Fleur had crawled into his bed into the middle of a thunderstorm it had been an interesting past couple of weeks.

They had a great time exploring all that Leon had to offer.

It had been interesting visiting all of the museums, cathedrals and other historical landmarks in the city.

They had saved the last and most impressive place of all the Basilica of San Isidoro for their last day.

And despite there not being a lot of thunderstorms recently for some reason Harry woke up on quite a few nights with Fleur snuggled up to him.

Appoline had told him that not only was Fleur afraid of thunder but she had another thing where if they were sleeping in a foreign location she would get quite lonely at night and seek out to sleep beside the person in the environment she trusted the most.

When he had asked her why Fleur was not like that in Poland Appoline told him "When we were with Andrei we had stayed in a magical location and with a person that we knew and had seen multiple times in the past".

And then she asked him if the attention was making him uncomfortable

He had just groaned not giving a response but his eyes spoke loads.

The feeling of waking up with Fleur was a nice one that was for sure.

It was still confusing how Appoline could view that happening and say nothing.

But moving on to other topics.

Fleur left the room and Harry went into the bathroom to change.

"Happy Birthday Harry" Two voices called out as he entered the main room.

Harry blinked.

Appoline and Fleur were sitting at a little table with a few small chairs with a small vanilla birthday cake on it.

It said in bright letters, _Happy Birthday Harry_.

"Wow Thanks," Harry said feeling his face heat up slightly at the kind gesture.

"We have more for you when we get back to France," Appoline said, "Until then give him the card Fleur".

Walking up to him looking slightly flustered Fleur handed him a simple card.

Opening it Harry began to read.

_Harry_

_To the boy who has become entwined with our families in such a way._

_Here is two a happy twelfth birthday._

_**Isaac**__ Thank you so much for your help over these past few years Harry_

_Here is to a happy birthday and wishing you a successful and fun next twelve months._

_**Appoline**__ You have brought so much joy and happiness to our family Harry._

_Here is to the memories shared so far and the solemn wish that our two families will continue to be entwined for a long, long time._

_**Sebastian**__ Thank you for your presence in this family Harry._

_It breaks my heart to have to be busy at work all of the time but I know that when I leave you with my daughter you will both be kept entertained for a long time._

_There was then a section for Gabby that just had scribbling on it._

_Harry smiled at that attempts of the little rascal_

_**Fleur**__ Thank you so much for being my friend Harry._

_This has been a wonderful friendship to explore,_

_Here is to more years to explore with you._

XOXO

Harry looked up at the two of them.

"Thank you," He said feeling tears starting to well up.

He then exchanged a bone-crushing hug with Appoline and a soft affectionate hug with Fleur.

"The cake is for now," Appoline said, "We will be going to the church soon".

"Remind me why we are going their Mama," Fleur asked.

"Because," Appoline said looking at the two of them "It is a good cultural experience for you two to get to experience".

"Fine" Fleur huffed.

"You kids have a cake to eat," Appoline said, "And then get ready to go".

Walking over to the table they dug in with vigor.

A few hours later

The trio walked into the splendor of the cathedral with the kids marveling at the inside.

Fleur was wearing a black dress and Harry a fancy shirt and pants along with a leather jacket.

And a bloody tie that Harry absolutely hated.

It had been a pain to get on but Appoline had been quite insistent and Fleur had quite nicely complimented his choice of attire.

That had calmed Harry down slightly but not enough to keep muttering under his breath during the walk to the cathedral when he thought the others could not hear him.

Finally, they found a row to sit in.

As the service began Harry realized two things.

1 He could not really understand what was being said.

2 Long sermons can be very boring.

Fleur sitting beside him seemed to be getting the same vibe.

He thus did not notice her discreetly slip of one of her shoes.

Fleur then tapped his foot lightly and pulled away.

Harry looked at her in confusion.

She was looking at the pastor speaking but had a grin on her face and was glancing sideways on occasion to see his reaction.

He did not know what game she was trying to do but it seemed interesting

Fleur then tapped him more slowly with her foot lingering a bit longer. Then, she pulled away and waited for him to do something.

After a pause and contemplating what to do next he decided to reciprocate her moves.

Harry then decided to Intertwine his foot into Fleurs foot. Due to the fact that neither had decided to wear socks that day they were able to intertwine their toes Using the ball of his foot to massage the sole of her foot he gave her a mini massage

Fleur let out a small purr apparently liking the movements.

And that showed Harry that Fleurs feet were apparently quite sensitive.

He then moved his foot from her foot to massage Fleurs ankle

Fleur then decided to run her foot around Harry's calf and ankle before moving back down toward his feet. Massaging his ankle with the sole of her foot, Fleur Made eye contact and smiled.

That actually felt quite good to Harry now that he thought about it.

For the rest of the sermon, Harry and Fleur played a small game of footsies.

Appoline then led them out of the cathedral.

If she knew what they had been doing during the service she did not say anything.

Their stuff had been returned back to France a little while ago and now it was time for them to join their suitcases.

As they were walking to the protected location where they could portkey to Delcour Manor Harry realized that it was a lot chilly outside that when they had gone in.

Appoline and Harry had worn quite comfortable clothes that would protect them from the cold.

Flur had none of that having wanted to wear the outfit and had refused a jacket.

She seemed fine at first.

But then after they had been walking for some time he noticed that she had started to shiver.

"Jacket Mlady" Harry offered taking pity on the cold veela.

Fleurs eyes lit up with relief.

"Oui," She said "Thank you Arry'.

Handing her the coat Fleur shook her head.

"Non Arry," She said "This is big enough for two.

And indeed it was having been fitted to be magically expandable.

Harry agreed and the two of them settled in.

As they walked Harry noticed how nice Fleurs body heat was and how cold she was based on how much shivering she was doing.

Walking for that way for about another twenty-thirty minutes they finally arrived at a grove on the outside of town.

"Ok," Appoline said holding out a piece of jewelry" Grab on everyone".

Holding on to the portkey Appoline spoke "Activate'

They were then whisked away into the expanses of magical travel.

**Author Note** 1 I didn't mean to offend anyone with the religious parts in this chapter,

The Church scene was envisioned as part of the plot/small romance scene and was not meant to say anything.

2 Also, I do not have any foot fetishes in case you were wondering.

Thank you for your understanding.

Patton44


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

August 5th, 1989

Delcour Manor

"And why again are you not coming shopping with us again" Harry quired to his mentor Isaac Patterson.

Isaac laughed "Harry you will learn throughout life that there are some things best avoided".

"I've gotten the impression your not a big fan of shopping," Harry remarked dryly,

Mr. Patterson laughed "I've got work to do," He said and then in a small mocking voice "Have fun".

Harry rolled his eyes at the older man's squeamishness at going to stores.

Truth be told he could go without needing to go shopping as well.

The act of going to various stores to try on dozens of different outfits and only getting a couple of those and searching for just the right item he would need for school seemed a bit overrated for him.

If he had his choice he would just have others do the shopping for him.

He had only decided to go along for two reasons.

One Sebastian had gotten some time off work and wanted to spend some time with the family.

Two Fleur had agreed to find most of his stuff and he didn't really mind his friend doing his shopping for him.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts he went upstairs to check on how the girls where doing getting ready.

As he gotta Fleurs room he knocked not hearing a response.

And then the door opened up.

"Ahh, Arry," Fleur said noticing him in the doorway "I'm almost ready to go please come in".

Stepping into the room Harry noticed the clothes tossed around the room.

Seeing his confused eyes Fleur sighed.

"Gabby got in here earlier" She explained, "And left a little bit of a mess".

Looking around he noticed that Gabby had apparently created quite a mess.

"And" Fleur admitted, "Sorting through the clothes convinced me to get rid of a bit".

"Ahh, That would make sense" Harry nodded "Need any help".

"Thank you Arry," Fleur said graciously "Could you please sort those into the baskets S'il vous plaît".

"Sure," He said.

Walking over to the bed he looked at the pile of clothes.

Shrugging he worked on sorting the clothes from the pile into the baskets and putting some on hangers.

It was astonishing at how many different outfits Fleur had that looked essentially the same thing.

His entire wardrobe was perhaps maybe a half or a third of hers and it made him shake his head at why Fleur would need so much.

But at least she was getting rid of a lot of things that had grown too big so that her wardrobe would be getting a bit smaller.

After about an hour of sorting everything and putting it away, Fleur thanked him before shooing him out of the room.

"Thank you for your help Arry," Fleur said, "Let everyone else know I will be down soon".

Nodding he walked downstairs to find the Delcour Parents talking by the kitchen counter.

"Morning Harry" Sebastian said raising his glass in Harry's direction before taking a sip.

"It sounded quite busy upstairs this morning" Appoline quired.

"Yeah," Harry said remembering everything that had gone on with the clothes this morning "I helped Fleur sort out some clothes she wanted to get rid off".

Sebastian laughed "My, My Fleur already has you working for her".

Rolling her eyes Appoline looked at Harry "Don't mind what he says dear he just does not like to do things involving clothes and shopping".

"Why are you coming today," Harry asked.

"I had some time off and wanted to spend it with my family" Sebastian grinned "And I get a bit out of this all in the end anyway".

Appoline scoffed and waved her hand in her husbands face "Quiet dear Harry is too young to be knowing about those kinds of activities just yet".

Amused at how the two adults seemed to be acting like a teenage couple Harry changed the topic.

"Fleur said she should be down and ready at any minute," He said "And then we can go"

"Perfect" Sebastian said, "We are going to Floo to Chemin de Traverse your version of Diagon Alley".

Harry nodded and walked into the kitchen to get something to eat before they headed out.

Sebastian calmly entered the fireplace followed by a less calm but still relatively collected Harry Potter.

Stepping into the flames he threw in the powder speaking "El Paladar"

The last thing he saw was Appoline and Fleur who was looking at him reassuringly and looking a bit nauseous herself.

Arriving in what looked to be a middle-class Parisian restaurant Harry headed over to join Sebastian.

Looking behind him he saw Fleur and Appoline arrive in the fireplace behind them although it was sliding more in Fleurs case.

He grinned slightly at his friend's explicit French Cursing.

.After helping her daughter get oriented Appoline turned to the rest of the group.

"Stay close to us Harry," She said looking around at the crowds "We don't want you to get lost".

As they walked out of the building Sebastian told them some news he had heard.

"Unfortunately kids some stuff has come up so we can not go to Belgium," He told them.

Fleur and Harry moaned at that but accepted it as a change to their summer plans

Harry was still inquisitive though on what was going on.

"Everything ok," He asked.

"I think so," Sebastian said thinking "There could potentially be a family problem that we have to go overseas for".

"Isaac will be coming to take you back to England in a few days," Appoline told him.

Thinking about the sad fact that their vacation would be cut off shorter than expected

Looking over at Fleur he could tell that she was upset at the changing plans but just like him she knew that sometimes things happen and your ideas don't always turn out the way you planned them.

Their thoughts were then interrupted by reaching the first of the shops they needed to visit and the beginning of their trip.

"Hold still Arry, I'm trying to get this on you," Fleur said as she tried to fix the tie on her best friends outfit.

"Oh come on how often do I need to use dress robes" Harry complained while glaring bloody murder at the row of ties Fleur had convinced him to try on.

They were going through the final part of their trip.

And the most enjoyable one he noted sarcastically.

At first, Fleur had been the one trying on outfits.

She had complained quite extensively about wearing fancy outfits especially the heels.

Fleur had been interested in those shoes for quite some time but her parents had forbidden her wearing them until she was twelve.

And for all of her bluster it had been quite entertaining seeing her walk around in them.

Appoline and Sebastian had became occupied in another section of the store so Harry had ended up needing to help his friend learn how to walk.

It had been quite an interesting experience especially when she fell and he had to make sure she did not land on the ground.

His amusement with Fleur and the heels translated to her then making him try on endless rows of ties.

He cursed the poor soul who invented that suffocation machine.

After potentially up to two hours of shopping (Not that they were counting)The group walked out of shopping district sorely depleted in energy and reduced in cash.

They then decided instead of walking to the floo again just to find a place where they could apparate home.

Harry grabbed onto Sebastian's arm and Fleur onto Appolines and they popped away.

Looking over the Delcour Manor Harry sighed.

It had been a wonderful summer that made him look forward to the next time they would be meeting again.

Their vacation had been cut short due to unforeseen events but it had still been a wonderful time.

Having been around Fleur and her family for two months goodbys even if it was for only a little bit was sad.

He still had some of Fleurs tears drying on his shirt from the solemn moment.

Not wanting to spend much more time looking at the manor he turned to Isaac who was letting him have a moment before they left.

Walking up to his mentor he took the offered cardboard.

Mr. Patterson spoke in a soft voice "Arachnid".

And the two of them disappeared off the hill leaving a flurry of leaves as the only indicator of their presence.


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

September 10th, 1989

Hogwarts School

Harry tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the Ravenclaw Quidditch Tryouts to begin

There were already about thirty students by the Quidditch Pitch waiting for their chance to join the team.

Unlike the others who had waited until the literal last minute before heading to the game, Harry had been ready for hours.

Ever since he had gotten back to school he had gotten in the habit of waking up early in the morning to try and fit in a morning jog around the lake.

The Great Lake was indeed a large obstacle to run around but he was determined to do it.

His goal of building his stature and enhancing his reflexes in a fight was still fresh in his mind.

Andrei had given him so much to think about.

But now having been up for several hours and practicing flying over the Forbidden Forest he was now ready to tryout.

The Ravenclaw Team came out of the locker rooms lead by Captain Robert Cramer.

"Welcome everyone," Cramer said looking over at the assembled turnout "Good group this year".

After everyone had assembled he turned to introduce the team.

"Now if you did not by name is Robert," He said pointing to the rest of them "These are our other two chasers Michael and our beater Heidi".

Cynthia then took a turn talking "Our Seeker, Keeper and one of our Beaters left school last year so we need new people to fill those rolls".

"Everyone who would like to be beater please come forward," Heidi said looking at the crowd.

Harry had not wanted the position but he watched with interest as several people tried to succeed in the tryout.

Eventually, it looked like the person who had succeeded was a fourth year named Thomas Stutzman.

And then it was time for the Seeker Tryout.

It looked like there where about twenty or so people that had tried out for the position.

"Ok, Everyone ready," Cramer said looking at the group "Head into the air I'm going to throw up the snitch as well as some quaffles and decoys to slow you down and whoever gets the snitch gets the position".

Harry followed the rest of the group into the air and waited for the little snitch to be released.

Down below he saw just as the rest of the group did a little ball be released into the air.

Followed by at least a half dozen other balls some of which looked suspiciously close to a snitch.

Absolute chaos and pandemonium broke out as people tried to catch the snitch and not get hit by the bludger.

In the middle of the chaos, Harry floated over the rest of them trying to locate the snitch.

He then cursed loudly as he narrowly avoided a bludger to the shoulder.

Deciding to then get a move on so he was not left behind Harry began searching for the elusive Snitch.

After about twenty minutes of flying the number of players still in the tryout had dropped due to a combination of disqualification, exhaustion or bludgers.

Their was now only four other people circling the stadium looking for the snitch. From what Harry could gather the fake snitches and blugers had been taken out so he only had one target to be looking out for.

Spotting a tiny dot out of the corner of his eye he took off.

He also saw that one of the other students trying out Sarah Colson was racing after him and the snitch.

Growling he moved his broom to try and outrace the other player.

Harry had been training for a little while now and considered himself to be quite good but Sarah was several years older than him and that counted for something.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a bludger flying at the pair.

Quickly and acting out of pure instinct Harry flipped his broom to try and knock the bludger away.

He hissed as the idea worked but not before Harry got hit in the shoulder.

And then because of their current position, Harry did not notice the second bludger that was flying towards his broom at a shortly lower altitude.

He barely had time to register as he was hit in the side.

Hitting the ground with a thud Harry practically then flew across the field before impacting the ground with a skid.

Opening his eyes Harry barely had time to register the ringing in his ears or the cries of the rest of the group as they rushed up to him.

Within a few seconds, he had passed out.

"Uggh" Harry moaned as he awoke to a splitting headache.

"Harry" A voice called out before engulfing him in a hug.

"What the" Recognizing Catherine and some others standing around him.

It was the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team as well as his friends and some students who had decided to show their support.

He also guessed that he was in the Hospital Wing.

Cramer was there standing at the front of the group.

"How are you feeling Harry," He asked.

"Bloody Horrible" Harry answered the headache still causing problems "Who won the tryout".

Some of the team looked at each other.

Cramer finally sighed and spoke, "Sarah caught the snitch, Harry".

"Oh," He sighed dejected at the failure but figuring that she deserved the victory.

"But," Cramer said looking back at the team "Your skill with the blugers was impressive Harry".

Michael then spoke, "If you would take it we would like to offer you the position of Keeper Potter we think you have the skills".

He blinked "Really," He asked astonished and then after thinking for a second "Sure," He said.

Cramer then looked over his shoulder "I think Pomfrey is going to kick us out now".

"Get well soon Harry and then we will talk about schedules," Heidi said as the team left the hospital wing.

Indeed just as they said the Hogwarts Medical Matron was soon at his bed and fussing all over him.

He followed all of her instructions on what disgusting she wanted him to take but grumbling all of the way.

Apparently, he had broken several bones in his fall that despite being able to be healed it would take some time.

And he had also been out it for three days.

He was happy and yet sorely disappointed when Pomfrey said she was excusing him from two weeks of school for his body to heal.

Going through several more tests and potions before she allowed Harry to get an early sleep.

Before he could though his thoughts latched onto Fleur.

"Can I have something from my stuff?"Harry asked.

"I'm guessing the locket to contact someone" Madame Pomfrey stated.

He gaped at her how did she know what that was.

"I've seen some things, Mr. Potter," She said handing him the locket before walking away "Here you go".

Looking down in relief and a bit scared at Fleurs reaction he nonetheless called her.

After a few minutes of the locket shaking Fleurs face appeared on the other side.

"Harry" She gasped seeing his current appearance "What happened".

He pursed his lips "Well I may have had a slight accident during tryouts" He said feeling awful as he saw her worried expression.

"Slight accident, Slight accident" She shrieked before quieting seeing him wince at the volume "I'm sorry Arry, What happened are you ok"

"Yeah I think so," He said, "Madame Pomfrey said the bones should be fully healed in about two weeks or so"...

"Bones" Fleur looked worried "Arry can you let me talk to your medical matron please".

"Sure" He shrugged getting Madame Pomfrey to come over and talk to Fleur.

He was not entirely sure what they talked about for so long and was about to fall asleep before Pomfrey turned off the mirror and handed it back to him,

"You have a very argumentative friend" She sighed "Quite persuasive".

Frowning and wondering what they had talked about Harry shrugged and put the mirror away.

Twenty minutes later or so Madam Pomfrey's fireplace roared into life.

Fleur walked out looking tired but happy to see him.

Running up to his bed she gave him a big hug.

Unlike other girls Fleurs hugs hid not make him feel like his bones were getting crushed but that he was hugging a big fluffy blanket.

He was still injured though and could not keep that up forever.

"Can you get off me Fleur?" He asked, "I love seeing you but my bones still hurt".

She got off him but not before giving him a peck on the forehead.

"Mrs. Delcour" Madame Pomfrey came out from the side room "I checked and you can say here until tomorrow and then you have to be back to Beauxbatons in time for breakfast".

Fleur thanked her and turned to Harry.

"What did I say about doing heroics Arry James Potter" She scolded.

"Don't do them?"Harry said sarcastically "I do listen to you, dear".

Fleur blushed "Oh hush you," She said, "I'm spending the night".

Harry blinked "And why would you do that," He asked.

"It's the weekend and I wanted to check on my friend" Fleur answered, "I think I can also help you get better faster," She said.

"Ok" He agreed "Where will you sleep through".

"I got Madame Pomfrey to magically expand the bed," Fleur said and then seeing his expression "Please neither of our parents care about that".

"Hang on I'm going to change real quick" Heading into one of the adjacent bathrooms.

Harry did not expect for this to happen but decided that he would swallow his questions and enjoy having his friend with him.

Fleur soon got out of the bathroom and got into the bed with him.

"Good night Arry," She said softly.

"Good night Fleur" He responded feeling himself drift off into dream world,


	35. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

December 7th, 1989

Hogwarts

It was finally time.

After about a month or so of training after he had recovered from his injuries Harry had been preparing for this day.

Their first match against Slytherin.

And what a match it was turning out to be so far.

It was forty-two minutes into the game and their team captain Robert Cramer had by this point shouted enough profanities to make a dementor recoil in horror.

"Cramer Language" McGonagall shouted into the microphone.

He ignored her and continued to focus on the game.

As large swathes of show whipped into his face at gale speeds. Harry's hands clenched the broom until they were white at the knuckles. This was not turning out as planned.

"Talbot, you better not be doing what I think you're doing!"The student commentator Robert Hilliard shouted

The sixth-year Slytherin Chaser who was the recipient of his threat sped across the pitch, Quaffle in hand, but his flight didn't last for long before a Bludger struck him in the side.

"Ohhhh! And Talbott takes a hit! Possession goes to Ravenclaw — "

Robert called a time out.

As the one who voluntarily spent his time and energy on the team as their tactician, and coach, Cramer did not appreciate when the team failed to follow his plays. They were carefully planned and expounded, taking all possibilities into account with all possible back-ups and precautions. But expecting them to stick to the plan was out of the question, especially since the team was full of twits who always thought that their own ideas were good ideas.

Despite only having been on the team for a short time Harry understood the sentiment.

Soon after joining the team Harry had noticed Cramer's lack of being able to anticipate moves. Well, being able to predict them accurately, at any rate, it was difficult to ignore the captains babbling about how the team's plays were in dire need of a few brain cells.

He had offered meaningful assistance that Cramer was more than willing to accept

Over time, it became more than a few tips — full-fledged plays, and gaining intel on the other teams.

Any help or practice didn't matter, however, if they kept ignoring it.

"Ashford I believe that charging through their beaters is as far from what we discussed as possible— "

"And Thomas can you please bloody focus"

"Robert, if you don't shut up now I will go full Silencio on you." Heidi, She glared at him with a huff. "Can you not Always be like this at our first game.

"Three years and you still haven't learned" Cynthia muttered

Managing to keep quiet for three seconds past Heidi's threat to hex him

But when Robert attempted to complain about the Beaters again, it was too much.

His eyes flew to Heidi's tucking her wand back under her robes. "Much better."

"Why didn't you stick to the plan though ?" she growled at Michael jabbing him in the chest.

Michael winced, trying to stay away from his captain's angry girlfriend. "Look, I know I should've, but it was just such an opportunity. Maybe you didn't see it from where you were but from my point of view, I mean it's just something you need to have seen and well... and.." He stopped babbling upon a single look at her. "I'm sorry" He squeaked "We are still winning though"

"Just barely!" Her voice rose as Michael shrank back in fear. "And you know why we are winning? Because everyone is following the plan ! If Harry hadn't bludgeoned the hell out of Slytherins Chasers, it would've been hell to regain the Quaffle after your little missed opportunity, not to mention —

"There isn't anything else to mention," Cramer interrupted in a dark voice after having lifted Heidi's spell. "We have to focus on winning the game"

Harry rolled his eyes at the bantering but was still concerned about how the game was going.

"All Right everyone into the air, follow the plan and let's win this thing" Cramer yelled.

Scoffing Harry none the less flew off to his position.

Madame Hooch signaled for the game to resume.

Within five minutes Harry had to deflect a bludger headed his way.

Slytherin was playing dirty.

Ever since his accident, Harry had gotten strong gear to block blows as well as heavy training but it was still a nerve-wracking position to play.

He hoped that Sarah would get a bit of luck soon and find the snitch to end this.

And then he saw their chaser off in the distance go after what looked to be a small ball.

The snitch

Harry then saw the Slytherin chaser spot the same snitch Sarah had and chase after it too.

Narrowly breaking himself out of his thoughts to block another shot Harry reminded himself to focus on his job and wishing Sarah the best.

Ravenclaw currently had a narrow lead 130-110 but they had to get the snitch and end the game before Slytherin did something borderline illegal.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the movement of a lock of silvery blonde hair

Fleur had arranged it so that she could be at his first quidditch game to give her emotional support in her words.

He suspected that he would get him self injured again and wanted to be safe.

It was a nice sentiment.

But he would talk to her after the game

Within the next twenty minutes, he had over a dozen balls shot at his hoop.

Seriously what was everyone else on his team doing?

He heard a whistle blow.

Looking down he felt his heart drop as he saw the Slytherin Chaser Gibson holding up the snitch triumphantly.

"Slytherin wins" Hilliard shouted as the scoreboard showed Slytherin 320 Ravenclaw 190.

Lowering himself to the ground he got off his broom to meet with his team and the Slytherin Players

The Ravenclaw team looked visibly dejected but did their best to be a good sport and shake the other team's hands.

Cramer shook the Slytherin captain Johnson's hand clearly no love being lost between the two of them due to their glaring.

Harry politely shook the hands of the opposing team trying not to let anything show on his face.

After the game was officially over everyone began to walk back towards the castle.

He felt a hand tap him on the shoulder.

Fleur was standing there wanting to talk to him but deciding to wait until the crowd of people had thinned out slightly.

Finally, after the teams had left into the locker rooms to get changed Fleur walked up and embraced him,

"Mon Dieu" She muttered into his shoulder "Why do people play such a dangerous and scary sport".

"It's an adrenaline rush," Harry told her "You found it scary".

"Oui" Fleur breathed "I swear seeing you hit those blugers makes my heart go so fast".

"Sorry" He grinned "Well I did not intend to try and give you a heart attack".

Pulling away she shook her head "Oh no, no, no cher you always give me anxiety".

"I appreciate the concern," Harry said "How are your studies going" remembering her complaining about finding it hard to work on some of her school work.

"I think I'm getting better at it" Fleur admitted, "Cosette is being a big help to help me out with Transfiguration".

"Good" Harry nodded, "I think she is a good tutor".

"Do you remember what we talked the other night?" Fleur asked, "With the study sessions".

"On the lockets" Harry quired remembering the conversation they had a couple of nights ago "I would have to see into times on arranging that but I don't see a problem".

"Good" Fleur smiled "How about Wednesday then".

Harry thought about it for a second "Sure" He said, "I don't have a lot of classes then".

.Fleur seemed to radiate with happiness at that before seeing the time "Got to go Arry go get changed and I will talk to you later".

"Ok" As Fleur was getting ready to leave Harry tried an idea to lean in and give her a quick goodbye hug this time instead of her taking the initiative all of the time.

From the happy smile on her face and the surprised posture, she was more than happy to reciprocate.

Fleur then hurried to leave and get back to Beautbatonx on time.

"Dear Merlin" Harry breathed "That girls energy is contagious".

He enjoyed the fact that instead of saying anything about their loss she just checked to make sure he was ok and to fuss over his health.

It was nice to have someone that cared that much about your well being.

Looking down and seeing the dirt and grime and smelling an oder left over from the game he decided to get changed and get a nice long shower.

As he headed into the changing room his thoughts where on his silver-haired their interesting friendship.


	36. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

August 14th, 1990

Delcour Manor

"Why good morning you three" A voice woke Harry from his slumber.

"What the" As he woke up he noticed the body's currently snuggled up with him.

He tried to disentangle himself from his friend Fleur Delacour and her little sister Gabby.

Looking up he saw Isaac looking down and grinning at him.

"You must have had an interesting night" He chuckled.

Harry groaned "Head out of the cloud Patterson" He snapped "We stayed up late last night playing games and talking and we fell asleep on the couch".

"Sure" Isaac smirked.

"Gabby's only four," Harry said raising his hands "That's gross".

"And thirteen is" Isaac raised an eyebrow.

"Stop changing the topic" Harry finally said looking and seeing that the Delacour sisters had turned to cuddle each other.

Isaac gestured for him to come into the kitchen.

As they walked Harry's mind went to this summer.

They were all assembled now to attend the 1990 Quidditch World Cup that would be starting tomorrow.

Until then they would be just hanging out and enjoying the summer.

He had spent much time in the past couple of days relaxing with his friend and playing with her sister,

After school had ended they had gone on another tour of Europe visiting Greece, Portugal, Ukraine, Norway, and Belgium.

The whole experience had been a doozy of experience but had been an absolutely wonderful experience despite not knowing all of the languages being spoken.

He had decided that before they would head to Germany and Italy next year he would learn a little bit of German and Italian so he could somewhat communicate.

Appoline had told him that French and Italian were similar in theory so he hoped that would help make the whole project easier.

Isaac called one of the house elves to get him a cup of coffee.

Their whole group consisting of Fleur, Gabby, Appoline, Sebastian, Isaac, and Harry would be traveling to the games together.

The portkey was scheduled to take them to the Quidditch Grounds in Wales around one in the afternoon.

Until then they would be relaxing until they had to leave.

He then turned and saw Sebastian and Appoline walking into the kitchen laughing and holding hands.

"Morning" Appoline said waving at them "You two have a good night".

"Yeah" Isaac grinned "'Crazy night".

Sebastian rolled his eyes but went to get himself some morning coffee.

Isaac then got into a discussion with Sebastian over politics or something like that and Appoline left to check on the girls.

Harry decided to follow Appoline into the other room and leave the two older men to their conversation.

Back in the living room Fleur and Gabrielle were slowly starting to wake up with a quite amusing bed face.

Fleur looked quite adorable as she picked herself off the couch and tried to get the tousles of hair out of her face.

With a heave, she threw the hair back over her head and breathed in.

Harry stifled a laugh

Her hair looked very beautiful and at the same time absolutely hilarious.

"Don't laugh Arry" Fleur warned softly "Even I can wake up with a bead head".

"I'm not laughing" Harry grinned "It's a good look on you"

"This is a good learning experience for you Fleur," Appoline said looking at the two girls on the couch "How did you end up sleeping on the couch there anyhow".

Fleur looked at him and blushed "We fell asleep on the couch" she murmured.

Gabby then popped off the couch and asked what everyone was talking about still rubbing her eyes to dispel the lingering effects of sleep.

"Good morning sleepy" Appoline chuckled "Breakfast is ready when you all want it" before walking back into the kitchen.

"Great game last night wasn't it Arry," Fleur said.

"Indeed" He smiled "You ready for the game".

"Oui" Gabby butted into their conversation "I want to ve Vittich".

The two of them grinned at the little girl who was now full up active and probably heading to the kitchen for food in a few seconds.

"Of course Gabby," Fleur said ruffling her sister's hair 'You will like Quittich".

Harry raised an eye at that statement.

He was not sure what Gabby thought about Quittich and if she would act more like her sister or if she was still too young to fully understand or care about the game.

They then went to the kitchen to eat some breakfast.

Four hours later their group of six was standing near the entryway getting ready to go.

The house elves had just taken their stuff to their tent on the game grounds.

"All right everyone here," Appoline asked having been talking with one of the elves.

Looking around and seeing everyone present she nodded satisfied.

Then Sebastian turned to address them "Ok I put our portkey in a bush on the hill outside of the wards," He said.

"A bush" Harry quired "Would that not make it incredibly hard to find".

"I placed it their yesterday so I should be able to find it," Sebastian said with what seemed to be strong confidence.

Remembering what Appoline had said about her husband's navigational skills Harry none the less followed the rest of the group out of the house.

The adults ended up walking next to each other and chatting.

Behind them, Fleur and Harry walked across the manor grounds followed by Gabby who was doing a decent job of trying to keep up.

After a little while of walking, Fleur noticed her sister working to stay with the group.

"You need a ride," Fleur asked.

"I can let you ride on my back if you want" Harry offered.

Squealing Gabby happily took his offer and hopped on his back.

Holding the little girl close Harry walked alongside Fleur.

"She does not do good with walking" Fleur stated, "I sometimes have given her a ride but she always pulls on my hair".

Harry chuckled: I guess I would not have to worry about that as much".

Gabby then tried messing with his hair.

"Hey be careful you little munchkin," Harry said, "You don't want to fall off".

Eyes wide Gabby focused on staying on his back and enjoying the ride.

"Wow" Fleur gasped "She is not like that with me".

Isaac had looked back at their little group "He's good with children that's what is" He said before laughing and resuming his conversation with the Delcour Parents.

They walked for a bit longer with the adults holding an intense conversation and Fleur trying to poke her sister who was sticking her tongue at her and trying not to fall off Harrys back.

The wonders of sibling bickering.

Soon they reached the top of a hill and some trees and bushes scattered around the landscape.

"Where is our portkey" Fleur asked.

Sebastian though was already searching amongst the bushes.

After about ten minutes where they where not sure if he had lost their transportation or not Sebastian finally called out in triumph.

"Found it," He said holding up a small coat.

Harry let Gabby slide off his back.

"Ok," Appoline said, "Everone grab on".

All of the members of their group grabbed onto a part of the offered coat and held on.

Even little Gabby understood and hopped into her mother's arms as they got ready to leave...

And then with a rush of air, they disappeared.

The adults managed to land with somewhat of a successful landing along with Gabby who had been holding on to Appoline.

Fleur and Harry, however, ended in another tangle of mass and limbs similar to their mishap when traveling to Poland the previous year.

Harry was much embarrassed by the whole experience just like last time especially with Fleurs dad in the area.

Fleur seemed to brush off the accident quite easily though and with a bit of an undertone of happiness in her posture if Harry was reading her correctly.

The adults despite looking quite amused at the whole thing graciously chose to keep their mouths quiet.

Once everyone was standing up and fully oriented they started to head towards the campground.

Arriving at the front gate they meet the person talking their tickets.

"We have a tent reserved under Delcour," Sebastian told the man.

"Delcour, Delcour" He muttered looking down at his rosters "Ah yes Delcour Row 16,Tent 42"He told the group.

"Thank you," Appoline said and they went to find their tent.

"Watch where we are going," Isaac told the kids '"You may need to know your way around here if you ever need to get back to the tent on your own".

After about a half hour of searching, they had arrived in front of what appeared to be their tent.

Sebastian looked at the numbers "Number forty-two" He said looking at the top and back at the directions "Here we are".

Filling inside Harry was astonished at how much larger the interior looked then the outside.

"The girl's beds are over their" Appoline said pointing at a curtain leading to another room "Harry you are over here" Showing him another room,

"Get cleaned up," Sebastian said, "And then meet us in here and we find someplace to eat before the game".

Harry walked into his room and saw his stuff placed in the corner next to his bed.

He then decided to take a quick shower before joining everyone else.

**Author Note** I will now be having Harry's second and third years at Hogwarts pass in a blink of an eye basically.

There will be a few important scenes but for the most part, I want to get to the time that Max starts Hogwarts and the good stuff begins.

And I apologize at being pants on writing little children's voices.


	37. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

August 15th, 1990

England

The Delcour group of half a dozen people slowly trekked towards the Quidditch Stadium surrounded by thousands of other people that were crowding in to watch the match.

Even for people like Fleur who were not interested in Quidditch, the mood of anticipation created an electrifying feeling that was hard to overcome.

Due to Sebastian's government connections, they had been able to get seats that were pretty high up in the stadium. Not as high up as in the Minister Box but still pretty close to it.

Isaac and Sebastian were chatting excitedly about the Canada-Scotland Match that was rumored to be a strong match that should produce a great game.

They would be rooting for Scotland and wearing their white and blue as it was the closest home team in their area.

Trekking up the stairs into their seats they were all in a giddy mood.

Gabby was trying to jump up to try and see where they were going but she was too short to see over everyone else.

Smiling Harry hoisted up the giggling girl so that she could see everything going on around them.

"This way everyone," Sebastian said needing to shout over the loud roar of the crowd and show their group to their seats.

Following the elder Delcour statesman up the stairs, they finally reached a relatively small balcony overlooking the field.

It seemed a bit inadequate to fit their group but Harry supposed it was nice that the area was slightly quieter than the area shortly outside.

"The match is getting ready to start soon," Isaac said excitedly taking his spot.

Sebastian and Appoline then found their seats to sit in shortly followed by Fleur and Harry.

There were a few chuckles then when Gabby instead of sitting in her seat decided to plop herself in Harry's lap.

"She likes you Arry" Fleur whispered to him mirth in her eyes.

Harry just grumbled but let the little girl do what she wanted to do even after she kept squirming around trying to find a comfortable position.

As Harry looked around, he found that there were plenty of other people sitting in the box with them none of which he really knew More people poured into the stadium. It was amazing how many people were at this game! There seemed to be thousands and thousands of them. Music was playing, and Harry could see the pitch down below. It looked spectacular.

And then the voice of the British Minister of Magic Millicent Bagnold came rushing over the stadium.

. "Ladies and gentlemen!" she said. "Welcome, welcome, welcome, to the final of the four hundred and twenty-first Quidditch World Cup!"

The whole crowd began to holler and clap, and thousands of flags waved. National anthems started blaring, and it ended up as a very discordant noise

Bagnold then shouted into the microphone "Now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Canadian National Quidditch Team! I give you Martin! Bartlett! Hayden! Kuchel! Murphy! Russell and JORDAN

Roars of approval went up from the Canadian supporters

"Now, here come the Scottish National Quidditch Team!" Bagman yelled. "I present to you-Carlson! Glenn! Smith! Anderson! Crawford! Douglass! And HAWKINS!

Seven more figures zoomed out and took their positions on the pitch. Harry saw that Hawkins was smaller than the rest of them; he was obviously the Scottish team's Seeker. Bagnold then introduced the referee, Hassan Mostafa.

"Now, let the game BEGIN!" she roared. The cheering was so loud it almost deafened Harry and caused Gabby to cling to his chest.

Then the game was on! Harry sped up and slowed down his pair of omnioculars he had gotten shortly before the game as it progressed. Professional Quidditch was nothing like he'd imagined based on what he had heard from his father. The players were so quick, it was unbelievable! The match was also quite dirty, as predicted. The players tried to cheat, several times resulting in Mostafa blowing the whistle a number of times. Sebastian was screaming himself hoarse, and Isaac was also letting go of some of his inhibitions and yelling out for his home team. Everyone Harry was with was supporting Scotland

Of course, though the fast flying had the unintended consequence of scaring the girls...

Gabby many times chose to bury her face in his chest and Fleur would grasp his hand hard when some of the players moved really fast or did a crazy move.

Soon after about three hours of the game, the score now read 160-120, Canada. "If Jordan catches the Snitch now, Canada will win by 110 points!" said Sebastian angrily. "I want Scotland to win!"

"Calm down, dear," said Appoline. "It's only a game." But her husband didn't look so sure about that

"Look, he's going for it!" screamed Isaac. "Hawkin's seen the Snitch!"

"YES!" Harry cried, for, sure enough, his mentor was right. The Scottish Seeker had seen the little golden winged ball, and Jordan was right behind him. But the larger man was way too quick for him. Before anyone knew it, he had the Snitch in his hand, and Mostafa blew the whistle.

"SCOTLAND WINS!" howled Bagnold, and some of the Scottish supporters did a little dance in their area. To the others' embarrassment, Isaac and Sebastian flew out of their seats again, dancing around in place. "SIT DOWN, SEBASTIAN!" Appoline hollered above the noise. Harry couldn't help but laugh at the antics of his mentor and practical father. He didn't really care which team had won; he had just really enjoyed the game.

Sebastian then swooped down and swept up his wife in a little dance.

The rest of them let out a laugh as they twirled around a bit before they sat down but not before sharing a kiss.

Fleur then asked Harry for a quick twirl to celebrate.

Laughing and putting Gabby back on the seat Harry did a quick celebratory dance with his friend twirling her around for a few minutes before they sat down again a lot more happy than when they had stood up before.

Back on the field, the Prime Minister handed the Quidditch World Cup to the Scottish National Quidditch Team who looked absolutely ecstatic over their victory.

The Scottish captain then raised the cup in the air causing the Scottish Supporters to roar out their approval.

And their little box broke out screams.

The Scottish and Canadian team shook hands in the middle of the field and people began to funnel out of the stadium for the numerous celebration parties that would no doubt follow the game.

From what it looked like the adults most likely wanted to go back to the tent and break out a bottle of firewhisky.

Gabby despite not fully understanding what had just had happened was still caught up in the feeling of euphoria surging through the group.

She still huddled close to him but appeared to be quite cheerful and happy due to the positive emotions surging around her.

Fleur despite her indifference to the game of Quidditch was also in quite a good mood,

The group then slowly left their little perch and slowly left the stadium taking care not to get caught up in the mass of excited fans that were also leaving and apparently some could not wait to get back to their tents before celebrating.

Harry worked with Appoline to get Gabby back to the tent before the true celebrations broke out.

After about a half hour they were able to make it all of the ways back to the tent and Appoline put Gabby to bed before the rest of them started celebrating.

Soon one of Sebastains Senate friends came in to say hi and the adults decided to go out and have fun for a little bit.

Fleur and Harry were not really in the mood though to go outside near all of the people drinking and making a fool out of themselves.

Before Appoline left the tent she talked a bit with Fleur who had agreed to watch over her currently sleeping sister.

Soon after everyone had gone it was just Harry and Fleur alone in the tent along with a sleeping Gabrielle Delcour.

"That was a nice game was it not Arry," Fleur said slightly awkwardly.

"It was" Harry agreed chuckling "If the number of people getting pissed drunk outside is any indicator".

She nodded "I feel like we should be doing something to celebrate though".

Harry agreed and tried to think of something to do.

"Care to dance," She asked.

"Sure" He shrugged and searched to find something to play some music.

Finding a little music player he turned it on and turned to Fleur.

He put his hands around her waist and she put hers on his shoulders and they started to dance.

Outside the noise of celebrations rang through the night clearly indicating peoples excitement with the result of the match.

Inside the tent though as Fleur and Harry slowly twirled each other around the sounds outside became mute as they slowly gazed into each other's eyes and became immersed in their dance.

**Author Note** Sorry for the delay I was busy with some other activities

And I'm aware some of my writing like the dancing is a bit cheesy but think its quite cute.

I am trying to make my version of Harry and Fleur unique amongst the rest.

They will share many romantic moments but will not date until they are older.

No offense to those authors but this is not a story where they meet and fall instantly in love instead they will get to know and develop feelings for each other over many years.


	38. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

September 1st 1991

Potter Manor

It was finally time for Harry to start his fourth year at Hogwarts and for his brother Max to begin his first.

The past three years at school had been wonderful in learning a vast repertoire of spells that would only increase over the next couple of years.

Despite the trips, he would take with the Delcour's over the Summers and Winter Breaks along with his Quittich Games though nothing interesting had really happened over the past year or so since the Quidditch World Cup.

That would all be coming to a change today though as his brother started his tenure at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Unfortunately, Isaac was out of the country and could not go with him to the platform today so he had to figure out a way to get there on his own.

In order to get on the train on time and without running into his family he would be leaving at an earlier time than the rest of the Potter group where.

He had nothing against walking with everyone else per se but he would prefer to not be associated with his family as much as possible.

In his first three years at school one of the hardest obstacles that he had worked to overcome was the fact that when people heard of his last name Potter their mind automatically went to his more famous brother and treated him differently because of it.

When it was just Harry the Hogwarts students tended after a while to be relatively calm around him.

Now with his famous brother being added into the equation though everything was going to change.

He was not really sure how the Hogwarts crowd would react to his brother getting on the train but he did not want to be in the area in case he got caught up in a crowd trying desperately to see the 'Boy who Lived"

The train would be leaving at eleven and from what he had gathered the Potters would be taking their son to the station pretty close to that time.

To give himself enough time to be ready he would be leaving Potter Manor around eight and heading to a local muggle cafe he had visited a few times to get some coffee before heading to the train.

Isaac had told him that he was still too young to be drinking coffee but Harry had found that the energy boost early in the morning was a great way to fully wake up.

Walking to the fireplace pulling his luggage behind him he flooed to the Leaky Cauldron

Arriving in the front parlor he waved politely to the barkeeper Tom who had greeted him upon his arrival.

Heading out of the pub and pulling his luggage behind him Harry walked down the street towards one of the coffee shops a few streets down.

Over the past few weeks, he had been exploring the area and had found that the shop was quite often visited by the local schoolchildren and thus his young age would not be noticed as much.

Arriving at the shop he ordered a cup of coffee and sat down to drink setting his stuff down on the seat next to him.

His mind began to drift as he looked out the window sipping on his beverage.

Max would be starting at Hogwarts he realized with a pang of apprehension.

He had known that about his brother for a while now but it was just now starting to register.

Fleur was excited for when Gabby could start going to school with her.

But she did not have to deal with as great of a change in the student attitude as he would have to.

What that change would be like was still a mystery to Harry

Well, there was no point in musing about future possibilities.

Finishing his drink he headed outside with his trunk.

Walking to an abandoned back street he raised his wand and signaled for transport.

Before it seemed like anytime had passed he was viewing the front of the Knight Bus.

He walked to the entrance of the bus and went up to the stairs.

The conductor greeted him warmly/

"Greetings my boy," He said, "Where might we be going today".

"Kings Cross Station," Harry told him "Hogwarts".

"Ahh, student" The conductor nodded "That will be eleven sickles please".

Harry paid the conductor and took his seat.

Having ridden this bus a few times already Harry somewhat knew what to expect.

But no amount of preparation or forwarning could prepare a person for riding on the Knight Bus.

After twenty or so minutes of being violently jostled around Harry arrived at Kings Cross.

Thanking the driver collecting his thoughts and his luggage he got off the bus.

Walking into the station Harry moved quickly to Platform 9 and 3 Quarters as fast as he could.

He wanted to avoid any British station police or Magical press that could severely delay him.

The Potter family would not be at the station yet though so the level of press should be minimal at the moment.

Managing to make it to the platform in a reasonable amount of time he jumped on the train.

Finding a compartment in the back of the train currently unoccupied he hurried in and shut the door.

Setting his stuff on the top shelf he looked at the time.

He had a bit of time until Joe and Catherine got here and they could hang out.

Until they got here a nice little nap would suffice.

Harry stretched out his arms as his group got off the Hogwarts by his friends.

He had stayed in their compartment for much of the past eight hours.

Joe had told him that the rumors and speculation about the boy who lived starting at Hogwarts were going on quite strong around the train.

He did not particularly want to leave and have to deal with questions about what he thought of the wonderful Max Potter starting at Hogwarts.

It's not as though he really had a strong opinion or really cared to be honest as long as the hype did not affect his life too much.

He enjoyed his current lifestyle right now thank you very much.

Managing to slip past the fan crowds they got in one of the carriages to get up to the castle.

Once settled the three of them went back to their conversation they had started back on the train.

"Do you think your brother is going to try out for Quittich Harry?" Joe asked.

"I don't really know" Harry shrugged "I would imagine dad would want him to play but he is still just a first year".

"Interested in a battle of the Potters" Catherine quired raising an eyebrow.

"Please" Harry scoffed "If Max gets on the team it could only be as a seeker and that puts us at diametrical opposites of the field".

"Madame Hooch retired at the end of last year," Catherine said "I wonder who will take her place"

"I don't know but I think that Max will be in Gryffindor" Joe predicted.

Harry rolled his eyes "No doubt pretty much every Potter except me has been a Gryffindor" He said and then adding 'Let's talk about something else".

They talked for a few more minutes before they felt the carriage stops moving.

"What the" Harry muttered, "That was not supposed to happen".

Looking outside of the carriage they saw that they had stopped moving for some reason.

They were in the back of the convoy so there was not any traffic behind them.

Some of the other students looked back at them confused but kept moving.

Soon their confusion was slightly eased when sometime later a teacher came up to their carriage.

"What seems to be the problem you three," The professor who Harry soon identified as Professor Flitwick asked as he came up to them in confusion.

"We don't know Professor" Catherine said, "The carriage just came to a stop when we were on it".

Professor Flitwick looked at the carriage and performed a few spells.

": Oh Dear" He muttered taking out his wand _"Expecto Patronum"._

causing an otter to come out of his wand and sat at his feet.

"Please let Reubus know that one of the theaters is sick," He told the otter "I will be taking the students back to the castle myself".

The otter nodded and bounded off towards the castle.

Professor Flitwick turned to the three of them "So sorry about that" He told them "I am afraid we will have to walk to the castle".

"But that will mean that we will miss part of the opening ceremony" Catherine fretted.

"No worry," Professor Flitwick said, "You will only miss part of the initial sorting and will still be able to welcome your new classmates and still eat a wonderful feast".

"What are thesterals sir" Joe asked looking at the carriage in curiosity.

"Nothing you need to worry about" Flitwick assured them "They pull the carriages"/

"Why can we not see them," Harry asked.

Professor Flitwick sighed "You may only see the thesterals if you have seen death" adopting a bright smile quickly though hiding the sad face"Come, Come we have a bit to walk if we want to see the Headmasters remarks on time".

Arriving near the tail end of the sorting ceremony the three of them sat with their year mates.

As Harry had predicted Max was put in Gryffindor and looked quite happy sitting next to a red-haired boy and a brown eyed girl.

Soon the rest of the children were sorted and they were allowed to eat.

Before that, though Headmaster Dumbledore got all of their attention.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts," He said warmly "To all of our old faces and to our new faces here at this school welcome".

"I intend to let you get to eating soon but there are some new staffing arrangements to be announced".

"A few of the older amongst you may notice that the positions of Muggle Studies professor and Flying Instructor became vacant last after the retirement of Madames Hooch and Kittle".

Harry had noticed when they had entered that a few of the staff chairs where empty but had not thought much about it at first.

Dumbledore then continued speaking.

"Well I would now like you to meet your new teachers" He announced.

Harry noticed two figures step out of a side door.

It couldn't be.

"May I introduce you to our two Professor Potters" Dumbledore said.

Harry still felt in shock while everyone else around him stood and politely clapped as Lilly and James Potter walked to the front of the stage and waved to the students.

**Authors Note** Finally for all of you who have been wanting this for weeks.

The Potter family is now here and ready to make an impact.


	39. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

September 2nd, 1991

Hogwarts

Harry felt filled with anticipation as he walked from the Great Hall to his first class of the day Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall.

It had been an interesting morning so far.

He had been shocked yesterday when it had been revealed that his parents would be working in the roles of professors at Hogwarts.

It made sense though that with their youngest child now away at school they would want something to do to occupy their time and to make sure that they could watch over their precious Max.

Muggle Studies had not been a class that he had signed up for this year though and with team practices scheduled for the weekend, he would not need to meet with or see the flight instructor until their first game in October.

So he would not have classes with his parents just yet.

But it had felt quite weird seeing Lilly and James sitting and eating at the staff table while laughing with the other professors

That was a foreign image that it would take a while to fully get used to.

The students after the first day or so had slightly toned down their whisperings about the boy who lived.

He imagined that the scenes of his brother getting mobbed by the student crowds would be quite hilarious if he had bothered to stick around and see what would be going on.

Meeting up with his friends they arrived in Professor McGonagall's room.

The Professor was currently standing in the front of the room looking at the entering students.

Everybody took their seats.

"Good Morning" Professor McGonagall began "Welcome to your fourth year in Transfiguration"."I hope you are ready to learn".

"Before we begin I would like to say something, many of you may have already heard but Professor James Potter in addition to working as the flying instructor will now be teaching Years One through three of Transfiguration so that I can better focus on teaching the older students in a better and more coherent fashion".

His father was teaching Transfiguration classes Harry thought.

"Today we are going start working on the snake conjuring spell Serpensortia," Professor McGonagall told the class "And the counterspell Vipera Evanesca".

Talking to snakes.

That could be a problem if he slipped up and spoke to the snake in had managed to keep that particular ability of his a secret for the past few years.

He was then extremely glad that he had left Medusa on his own back in the dormitory.

"All right" McGonagall clapped her hands "I would like you to split into partner pairs and I would like you to try practicing the counter enchantment before we try to conjure snakes".

Joe ended up practicing with a Hufflepuff from their year and Harry ended up practicing with Catherine.

"'I want you all to work on this encantation Vipera Evanesca and then after I check you start you can try to conjure a snake".

She then clapped her hands indicating for everyone to begin casting.

Harry turned to Catherine "Ready" He asked.

She nodded and they began trying out the hand movements

After a few minutes of practicing that McGonagall came around to their group where she looked at their movements and judged that they were ready to try casting on snakes.

Focusing Catherine spoke in a clear voice "Serpensortia"

Harry gulped as he saw a large snake roughly the size of Medusa come out of her wand.

"What is the meaning of this why am I here" The snake hissed irritably.

He struggled not to speak to the snake and remember the proper counter incantation.

Raising his wand he tried to focus as he spoke "Vipera Evanesca"

The snake hissed in agony as his spell hit it and instead of dispelling as it was supposed to flames engulfed his tail.

"Mr. Potter" Professor McGonagall came up from behind him worry in her voice.

She immediately took out her wand and dispelled the snake with a swift gesture.

"Is everything ok" The Professor turned and raised her eyebrow at his poor performance.

"Sorry Professor McGonagall,"Harry said, "I suppose I still need a bit of practice".

"Indeed, Indeed" The Professor nodded "I would definitely agree that you need to "Practice" some more".

A few students had stopped their own activities to look at Harry.

"Well, what are you all looking at," Professor McGonagall said looking back at the class "Get back to work".

Chastised the students returned to their practicing with Professor McGonagall being vigilant in making sure no mistakes happened.

Harry then realized what had happened.

His mind truly was a mess.

Thoughts over his family, school work and other events had been occupying his mind for the good part of the past few days.

And on top of that being able to hear the snake speaking to him made his spell misfire.

That was unacceptable.

In a scenario where he needs to be on high alert, he could not allow his emotions to cloud his judgment in a fight.

That snake despite not being specifically summoned to attack him was the first real potentially hostile creature he had been in contact with.

Catherine looked at him with worry in her eye "You ok" She asked, "We can practice a bit more".

"Yeah'Harry shook his head free of the encompassing thoughts "I will get this right after I practice for a little bit".

Well, it was nice to know that he was not the only one that had managed to have some really bad luck on the first day of school.

Max had had an interesting first day of potions with Snape.

Harry thought that with Lilly and James being in the castle that Professor Snape would have been more restrained against the child of his arch nemesis.

Alas, that was not to be.

He was not really sure about how it had happened but Max and his two friends Heromine Granger and Ronald Weasley had lost over one hundred points for Gryffindor.

No one could seem to tell him what had transpired but from what he was able to gather it was over hilarious reasons.

And then the admiration period people felt for the boy who lived quickly died as many especially his own housemates were pretty upset about Max getting in an argument with Snape.

Although from the looks of it a lot of the hostility was being directed against those whom his brother was hanging around.

Especially the Muggle-born Granger seemed to be the focus of much of the anger.

James looked pissed though.

Shortly before dinner, he had a stern talking with Max before arguing with Severus.

Lilly had to drag him away from doing anything stupid.

Harry and his friends found the whole situation amusing silently observing the theatrics from their seats.

They had also had Defense Against the Dark Arts today with Quirinus Quirrell.

How they even let an idiot that teach was beyond Harry.

The lesson was an absolute waste of his time.

The teacher did not know how to control a class and prevent them from chattering in the middle of a lesson

He also doubted how much Quirrell knew about the Dark Arts and the topic self-defense in general.

It seemed like a little bit of a wimp to Harry.

And his stuttering was going to drive him bloody bonkers.

At least he had ways now to practice outside of class on the things he would not be learning from their stuttering idiot of a professor.

Fleur had found the whole scenario to be quite amusing in a call a short while ago.

It was time to go to their first Arithmancy lesson of the year now.

Harry tapped his foot on the floor as he waited for Professor Vector to start class. Shortly after the last student found their seat a small bell on the Professor's desk let out a surprisingly deep chime, bringing the class's attention to the front of the room. Professor Vector stood and pushed in her chair before she began their first lesson.

"Hello, I am Professor Septima Vector. I can see that everyone is here, and it looks like I have a majority of Ravenclaws this year, as seems to be the norm. Before we start on learning arithmancy, I would like to ask you all a question about it. Tell me in your own words, what is arithmancy?" She pointed to a Ravenclaw student with her hand in the air. "You please, first your name, then your definition."

"Christoper Schaffer. Arithmancy is using numbers and math to predict the future and understand the nature of spells, or even to create new ones. We use it most with ancient runes to create stronger wards and enchantments, and curse-breakers use it to help break them."

Professor Vector nodded, but she didn't give out any points. "You are half right. Its good that you looked at the textbook beforehand Arithmancy can be used to predict the future much more clearly and reliably than divination, although it has a number of disadvantages. One is the fact that, unlike with divination, predictions made with arithmancy are always predictions of what is likely to happen, rather than what is certain to happen. We do use arithmancy a little bit with runes and erecting wards. Arithmancy, however, cannot and will not be used to understand or create most spells." She paused slightly at the looks of dismay she was receiving before she continued on. "This is not to say that one cannot do magic using arithmancy, or even that the magic in question will look any different from what you might learn in a different class. Nevertheless, you will never be able to create an understandable equation that describes a spell such as Stupefy or Accio. This is because Arithmancy is an entirely different way of doing magic."

She touched the blackboard with her wand and it flipped over as if there was an empty space behind it in the wall to which it was attached. On the other side was a rather odd, if simple, looking equation with sketches taking the place of two numbers. "Purely non-arithmetic magic, if rendered into an equation, might look something like 'Two plus Two equals four,' as you see here. This kind of magic forces the world to work entirely differently from how it normally would, which makes things like more advanced muggle technology stop working or even break down if there is too much of it." She pointed to Joe, who had her hand up. "Your name, then your question please."

"Joseph Blackburn. Is the way that the magic we have been learning eventually stops working, like transfigured things eventually going back to what they were originally, a result of that?"

Professor Vector smiled. "Five points to Ravenclaw. Yes, because of the brute force approach taken by that kind of magic it will sooner or later come undone when that part of the world goes back to normal. You have forced the world to change to what you wanted, and it doesn't stay changed forever. With arithmancy, however, you instead work with the way that things work, but you use the rules in a way they aren't supposed to be used. For instance:" She tapped the blackboard again, and it flipped again to show am equation and diagram that had not been there before she flipped it the first time.

The professor pointed to a pair of differently sized rectangles. "Say that you have two boxes. One is very tall but thin and the other very wide but short. If you put one on top of the other you get a box that is tall with a wide part sticking out from the bottom," she said as she pointed to the next image of an irregular hexagon. Then she moved on to a fourth polygon. "If you use arithmancy however, you can convince the world that you are 'adding the height of one box to the width of the other,' getting a single, normal box that is both as tall as the first one and as wide as the second, and has much more space than the two of them combined actually would. Of course, a real arithmantic spell would be much more complicated than that, and it would be much closer to how things actually work. That brings me to my next point."

Professor Vector tapped the blackboard again and it flopped over one last time to show a single sentence underlined several times; a sentence that she then proceeded to read aloud. "Arithmantic spell equations are ALWAYS wrong!" She turned back to the class. "Now, this isn't to say that they don't look right. A proper arithmantic equation must be very close to being accurate, which is why it is important to know as much about mathematics as you can. Muggles have made many advancements in mathematics in recent centuries that can help us to…"

The rest of the lesson turned out to be quite interesting.

Arithmacy was a field of magic that Harry had been interested in for some time now.

He had then decided to take the class this year.

It was proving to be a interesting learn for this year.

Maby he could finally take Isaacs advice and find himself a hobby...

**Author Note** Sorry for the delays May is a weird month with the amount of free time I have to write.

I try and get these chapters done though even if they take a bit longer now.


	40. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

October 31st, 1991

Hogwarts

Harry really hated Astronomy,

They had been in the class for around two months by this point and the level of work was crazy.

Their homework for Monday was to write a five-page essay on the properties and characteristics of Jupiter's moons.

He was currently sitting in one of the chairs in the Chamber of Secrets talking with his friend Fleur.

It turns out that finding how to use a simple Disillusionment Charm did wonder in allowing him to sneak out of the common room and down to the Chamber.

Their where no classes for the Victory Day Celebrations but Harry still had a lot of homework that he wanted to get a start on.

Fleur was taking the Beaubatonx version of Astronomy. They were then trying to work out their homework together.

If I have to read one more thing about Europa I am going to scream" Fleur muttered.

Harry chuckled at that "I fully agree with you" as he filled in his last star chart.

Fleur filled in the last question in her homework to and sighed "Done".

Harry looked at the time "Yeah I got to go and get back in time for the dinner" He told Fleur "Talk to you later".

"Yeah" Fleur sighed, "I think some food would be good about now" She grumbled before turning of the locket.

Harry gathered his stuff up and headed back up to the Ravenclaw Dorms.

As he walked up to the stairs he thought about the crazy events that had gone on so far these past few months that he never would have been able to quite predict coming into this year

Somehow his brother had gotten onto the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.

Apparently, during the first year training lesson when James was busy taking care of an injured student, Max had gotten into a fight with a Slytherin that had somehow ended up with his brother on the team.

James had said that Max's skill in catching a falling ball of sorts would mean that he was suited to the game at such a young age.

How that worked Harry had no idea.

A lot of Hogwarts students were upset though because of a viewed favoritism that James Potter would show to his own son.

Harry had tried to stay out of those conversations though and had thus spent much time in the Chamber of Secrets the past month.

It was definitely going to be an interesting game when Ravenclaw and Gryffindor faced each other in late November though.

After he had gotten out of the chamber and into the hallways he then narrowly avoided running into Professor Trelawney.

She seemed startled but didn't seem to see him.

The Professor then continued on her merry way.

Harry frowned as he remembered how stupid of a class Divination was and how much Joe got in arguments with her.

Flashback

As the students were waiting for class to begin and for their teacher to arrive they were startled when a voice came out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice.

'Welcome,' it said. 'How nice to see you all at last.'

Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.

'Sit, my children, sit,' she said, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto pouffes. Harry, Catherine, and Joe sat around the same round table.

'Welcome to Divination,' said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. 'My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye.'

Hearing no reply to her words Professor Trelawney rearranged her shawl and continued, 'So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field ...'

'Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future,' Professor Trelawney went on, her eyes moving from face to face. 'It is a Gift granted to few.

"'We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry.

'In the summer term,' Professor Trelawney went on, 'we shall progress to the crystal ball – if we have finished with fire-omens, that is.

'I wonder, dear,' she said to Harry, who was nearest to her "'if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?'

Harry, slightly confused stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney.

'Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink; drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside-down on its saucer; wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing.

When Harry and Catherine had had their teacups filled, they went back to their table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly. They swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped them.

'Right,' said Catherine, as they both opened their books at pages five and six. 'What can you see in mine?'

'A bunch of brown stuff,' said Harry. The heavily perfumed smoke in the room was making him feel sleepy and stupid.

'Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!' Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom.

Harry tried to interpret the glass...

'Right, you've got a weird sort of cross ...' he said, consulting Unfogging the Future.

'That means you're going to suffer in the end but be very happy ...'

Catherine shivered.

'My turn ...' Catherine peered into Harry's teacup, her forehead wrinkled with effort. 'There's something that looks like a bowler hat,' he said.

'Maybe you're going to work for the Ministry of Magic" Catherine suggested.

Harry shrugged.

"Government Work has always intrigued me" He stated thinking of Sebastian.

He turned the teacup the other way up.

Professor Trelawney whirled around as Harry let out a snort of laughter.

'Let me see that, my dear,' she said to Harry, sweeping over and snatching Harry's cup from him.

Professor Trelawney stared into the teacup, rotating it anti-clockwise.

'The falcon ... my dear, you will have a deadly enemy.'

Harry furrowed his brow.

What was she talking about?

Professor Trelawney chose not to elaborate anymore. She lowered her eyes to Harry's cup and handed it back to him.

Everyone then went back to work.

Soon there was a commotion from Joes table

"Mr. Blackburn, will you please pay attention!" snapped Professor Trelawney, glaring at the boy who was blatantly ignoring the work "Or is there something you were talking about with Mr. Bole that you would kindly like to share with the rest of the class?"

"Oh no, Professor," answered Joe sarcastically, who really did not like the assignment or the class "Don't halt your lesson just for my benefit."

Harry mouthed to Catherine, what the hell is going on? Catherine just shrugged in return, being her usual, helpful self.

Trelawney continued to glare at Joe for a few seconds more, before deciding it was not worth it and turning back to the rest of the class.

Later Harry asked Joe what was wrong

"You want to know what the problem is?" answered Joe scornfully, not trying to keep his voice low. "The problem is, this whole lesson is a joke! The Professor is also a joke! She's an old fraud, and quite frankly, I'm pissed off that I have to sit through lesson after lesson of this crap when I could be doing something worthwhile with my time!" He glared at Harry, who was looking visibly shocked by his outburst. He turned to look at Catherine, who just shrugged once again.

Joe turned back to Trelawney, who was once again glaring in his direction. Clearly, she had heard every word of Joe's outburst, and she had obviously had enough.

"Mr. Blackburn!" Trelawney barked at Joe. "That is enough! I'm obviously not getting through to you, so I think detention and twenty points from Ravenclaw will do you good!"

Several of the students gasped at this statement. There were then many glances in Joe's direction, everyone wants to see if he was upset at the punishment. Quite the opposite, as he was just sitting there looking rather unconcerned.

"Fine, Professor," Joe answered coolly, sounding like he really didn't give a damn. "Which he probably doesn't," Harry thought to himself.

'I think we will leave the lesson here for today,' said Professor Trelawney, still having bile in her voice. 'Yes ... please pack away your things ...'

Silently the class took their teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away their books and closed their bags.

'Until we meet again,' said Professor Trelawney faintly, 'fair fortune be yours.

End Flashback

Harry arrived in the Great Hall to all of the normal pomp and circus Victory Day represents.

Everyone was celebrating and enjoying the feast.

Not being too late yet he sat down by his friends and took some food to eat.

He had a fun time eating and chatting with his tablemates.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Max and his friends were whispering between the three of them and holding some sort of parchments.

It was weird that only Ron was with him though.

Heromine was probably late though

By Merlin, he hoped his brother was not getting into another hair-brained excursion.

Thoughts of his brother then soon disappeared in the drumbeat of conversation.

Later after Dumbledore had given his initial remarks and close to the end of the dinner the doors to the Great Hall burst open.

Professor Quirrell came running in, his turban askew and terror on his face. The professor reached the High Table and slumped against it. "TROLL! I-in the dungeons—thought you ought to know," his high, reedy voice cut off suddenly as he fell to the floor in a dead faint.

Pandemonium then erupted. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence to the Great Hall.

"All students are to follow their prefects in a calm and orderly fashion to their respective houses, immediately," the headmaster stated calmly.

As the students evacuated the Great Hall nobody from the Gryffindor table seemed to notice that one of their students was missing as they headed their merry way out the door.

Near the back of the group leaving the Great Hall, they noticed someone moving down one of the corridors"Snape!" Joe hissed, pulling Harry behind a large stone griffin.

Sure enough—as Harry carefully peered around the corner—the Slytherin Head of House crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.

"What's he doing?" Harry murmured. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"

"Have no idea," Joe muttered.

"Let's follow him," Joe said.

"What" Harry exclaimed "You're crazy"

"No" Joe shook his head "Come on we can lose the group"

Quietly as possible, Joe crept along the next corridor after Professor Snape's fading footsteps.

Harry looked at the group of students moving along another corridor and ran after his idiot of a friend

He peeked around the corner and then drew back. "Those stairs lead straight to the third floor," he told Joe, but his friend held up a hand.

"Do you smell that?"

With a heavy sniff, a foul stench reached Harry's nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seemed to clean. He gagged a little. "What is that?"

"Troll," Joe said simply.

Then they heard it—a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Joe took out his wand, pointing. There was a very slight tremor to his hand. Harry decided to take his wand out, too. At the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving towards them. They both of them immediately shrank back into the shadows and watched, captivated, as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.

It was the most grotesque thing Harry had ever seen. Twelve feet tall, its skin was dull, granite grey, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a small coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The stench was incredible. The troll held a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor since its arms were so long.

The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, and then slouched slowly into the room.

"There's a key in that lock," Joe muttered, "We could lock it in."

Harry's face was stony as he stared at Joe like he was stupid. "Joe that's the girls' restroom."

At a shriek of terror pealing from the bathroom, Harry flew into autopilot rushing for the door, Inside, Hermione Granger and his brother where shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if they were about to faint. The troll was advancing on them, knocking the sinks off the wall as it went.

Cursing at their great luck Harry saw Joe looking around for anything to use. He yanked his shoe off and threw it at the troll's head. "Oi!" The troll stopped its path of destruction just a yard from Hermione and Max. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what made the noise. Its angry little eyes saw the pair. It hesitated, and then made for them instead, lifting its club as it went.

Harry started firing off the curses he knew as Joe did what he could to distract the troll.

"You! You filthy creature!" Joe bellowed from the other side of the chamber. Then a large metal pipe went flying. Just like the shoe, the troll didn't seem to notice, but it heard the yell and turned its snout towards his.

"Come on, run! RUN!" Harry yelled at his brother and Heromine. Their mouths were open in terror.

The shouting and resulting echoes caused the troll to grunt loudly. It roared, wildly swinging its club about.

Joe screamed, "It's gone berserk!"

Seeing that his roommate was cornered and unable to escape, Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid, and that would definitely get him a lecture from Fleur. He took a great running jump and fastened his arm around the troll's neck from behind. Of course, the troll couldn't feel a thing, and Harry almost wanted to faint by how foul the creature was close up. However, Harry's wand was in his hand as he jumped. To put it bluntly, even a troll will notice when a wand's tip is rammed up its nose.

Howling in pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club ineffectually. Harry clung for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.

Joe had sunk to the floor in wide-eyed fright, but Hermione stood up straight having shaken her fear off like a great-maned cat would with water. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over—and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face with a thud that made the whole room tremble.

Harry was glad the troll had fallen face-first, or he'd been crushed. Shaking and winded, he tiredly pushed himself to his feet. Hermione still stood there, her wand trained on the knocked out troll.

"It's not dead yet," Joe said in a half-whisper. "Trolls only die if you burn them for hours."

Harry bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy grey glue.

"Urgh, troll boogers."

He wiped it on the troll's ragged and filthy trousers. His wand shot out tiny gold sparks in response. He blinked at it, when a sudden slamming door and loud footsteps scuffing to a halt caused all three of them to look up.

Professor McGonagall stood closest to them a hand against her mouth in shock, Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell right behind her.

Professor Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet in a decimated stall, clutching the place above where his heart would be.

Professor Snape was glaring at Max, having barely glanced at Harry and Joe. "What on earth were you thinking, you little twit!" Cold Fury was in his voice. Harry looked to Hermione who had lowered her wand arm. "Once again, you are exceedingly lucky! A troll's favorite diet is the meat and marrow of human children," the Professor snarled savagely.

Seeing the two first years not say anything Harry distantly wondered if the fear had fried their brains.

Professor McGonagall looked over the troll.

"Please, don't be angry at them, Professor Snape. They were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!" Professor McGonagall sounded positively scandalized.

She nodded. "I went looking for the troll because I thought I could… deal with it on my own. You know, because I've read so much about them."

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead, professors." Hermione took a deep breath. "They didn't have time to go and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

Harry sent a warning glare towards Joe. They both carefully tempered their expression as Professor Snape turned to them. "Is this true?" He asked slowly, black eyes burning.

"Yes, professor," Joe chimed in, finally standing and disdainfully brushing off his dusty black robes and trousers without putting much effort into it. "She went off on her own and nearly got herself killed."

Harry nodded in agreement, not trusting his voice. Professor Snape narrowed his eyes at Max.

"Miss Granger, you foolish girl! How could you have thought that you could tackle a mountain troll all on your own!?" Professor McGonagall brutally said.

Hermione hung her head in contrition.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Potter ten points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. You'd better get off to Gryffindor Tower if you're not hurt. Students are finishing their dinner with their house."And Mr. Potter I think your parents will want to have a word with you.

Without a backwards glance, Hermione and Max left.

"They're all yours, Severus." Professor McGonagall's pleased eyes swept over the boys, and then she turned and exited as well. Professor Quirrell continued to whimper staring at the unconscious troll on the ground.

"I do not award points for putting yourselves in harm's way, but for saving the life of a fellow student…" Professor Snape's lips twitched into a smirk. "Twenty points to Ravenclaw. You may join your housemates in the common room."

The two boys immediately departed, leaving the two adults to deal with the troll.

Something was bothering Harry though... "We lied to Professor Snape, and he didn't notice."

Joe had an abbreviated laugh. "No, he knew. He also knew that Granger and Potter were lying through their teeth."

"Then... why would he ask you if she was telling the truth or not?"

His friend smirked. "He wanted to know whether I would play along with Granger's account or not.

Harry frowned. It made absolutely no sense to him why an adult would cooperate with a child's lie-telling, but decided not to ask. Neither of them had gotten into trouble and they'd been awarded points; so, it wasn't really something he should be bothered about, right?

They finally entered their common room. It was a relief to be away from the stench of troll, a relief that they'd managed to stay alive.

The common room was packed with two long tables taking up the space in the middle. Everyone was eating the relocated feast. Nobody really took notice of them, until the two boys tried to sit down.

"Ugh! I smell troll!" one of the younger students complained.

The Students conversations stopped and they stared at the two boys covered in grime and slime.

"Come on, Harry! Let's get cleaned off so we don't spoil the meal for these weak-stomached lumps!" Joe said imperiously.

"You didn't…" Andrew said weakly, "Tell me you didn't go looking for the troll."

"We didn't go looking for a troll," Joe bragged, "We only saved a hapless Miss Granger and Mr. Potter from certain death!"

Everyone's faces seemed frozen in disbelief. Harry laughed at how silly they looked.

With a smirk, Joe patted Harry's shoulder. "Ready then?"

Chuckling, they headed to the Boys' showers.

Harry really hoped that Fleur would not be upset with him.

**Authors Note** Well it took a bit longer but I tried making a longer chapter with more action.

Enjoy


	41. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

November 27th, 1991

Hogwarts

Harry carefully scanned through the list of books on the shelf.

He had some free time and was interested in scanning through some of the books in the back room of the Chamber of Secrets.

A title caught his eye.

**A History of Spells Used during the English Civil War**

Intrigued he opened the book and read the first page.

_Greetings Future Descendent of Salazar Slytherin_

_My Name is Lord Jacob Astley and as I am writing this Hogwarts is under siege._

_At this moment in August of the year Sixteen Hundred and Forty-Five, the war is surely lost._

_Let me explain._

_I am not sure how much you will no about the events of the present day in your time but I would think you would have learned about our Civil War._

_Three years the country broke into anarchy when opponents of the Muggle king tried to overthrow the monarchy._

_Despite the fact that it did not affect many of my kind living in the north of Scotland a lot of us went off to fight._

_I am sad to say that with our recent defeats this war is going very bad for the Royalists._

_Magical Parliamentarians are now besieging Hogwarts and will most likely take it soon._

_I do not expect that I will live to see the end of this war._

_But I know that Slytherins Chamber will survive and there will be someone to visit in the future._

_I am aware of several branches of magic that are not well known to the majority of magic users._

_This knowledge must not die with me._

Harry blinked after reading the first page.

He had heard about the English Civil War but he had not known that the Magical Community had been involved in it.

In all of the things that he had heard about the British Royal Family's, he had never heard about a Royal House of Astley before.

That house had probably died out sometime in the past.

But if Jacob had unheard of spells or knowledge that he could learn that would be amazing.

He flipped the first page and started to read.

_The first thing that I would like to talk about is something that is my own creation._

_I call it Blood Magic _

_Blood Magic is an extremely advanced fighting technique that allows a wizard to take hold of and manipulate fluids within an organism's body, allowing the bender to move the person's muscles._

_I developed this technique when I was detained in a prison designed specifically to stop any form of magic from being used. During my detainment, I discovered that all life contains water and proceeded to develop the knowledge and skills of the art by practicing on elephant rats._

_I began to devise a plan that would lead to my escape and eventually realized that the rats constantly scurrying around the bottom of my cage were filled with water._

_After a while, I attempted to take hold of the fluids within one of the creatures and succeeded, successfully performing my art for the first time. Over the following months, I continued to develop the technique, eventually mastering it to a point at which I could effectively control the movement of an entire horde of rats._

_I used blood magic to control a passing guard, forcing him to open my cage and allow me to escape. _

_The forms and styles used with Blood Magic resemble how a puppeteer controls a marionette. In order to use Blood Magic in a fight, it requires a rigid and abrupt form of movement._

_And this is a way to start learning the art._

_First, you should try pulling moisture from the air and water from within plants_

_After enough practice, by using Blood Magic you are capable of levitating your enemies in the air and be used to knock them unconscious._

_Blood Magic can also be used to render multiple people unconscious for a period of time and can even be used to crush or disrupt the activity of a victim's internal organs._

_Since I am not aware of your mental state I want to assure you that this is not to be used lightly._

_In a war scenario the quicker you can take down your enemies the higher chance is that you and your allies will survive the day._

Psychic Blood Magic

_Psychic Blood Magic is the ability to use blood magic with minimal motion, making its use nearly imperceptible. I used this ability in several duels to minimally alter the movements of my opponents and give myself the advantage._

_Blood Magic can also be used to sever the connection between a wizard and their magic abilities by disrupting their chi paths, This technique requires direct physical contact between the user's hand and the victim's forehead._

_Now be aware that Blood Magic requires far more sophistication and precision than conventional magic_

_Blood Magic is also only able to manipulate another person's body at the physical level, though leaving the victim's mental faculties intact. You can, however, restrict the movement of your opponent to stop a spell, as well as reposition attacks in progress by manipulating the user's body._

_Psychic Blood Magic is also limited in that the practice of magic with minimal movement and no wand can only accomplish limited feats such as subduing individuals, but it cannot progress to the point of full control without a further motion being used. _

Harry set the book down startled at what he had just read.

Blood Magic was a very cruel thing to inflict on a person.

But from what he saw in the book it was a way to survive in war.

He could very well imagine using it on Death Eaters or any other enemy who were going to kill someone he cared about.

So if it was only used on his enemies was Blood Magic really that bad.

He saw the clock ticking signaling that he needed to get to his next class.

Setting down the book he got his stuff together and started to head back upstairs to go to class.

His mind was whirling.

Blood Magic offered so many possibilities.

The question was should he try and learn more.

A lot of the people around him would disapprove of that type of magic.

But what they didn't know would not hurt them.

Right.

Fat drops of rain plopped onto the thin panes of greenhouse glass from the cloud-darkened afternoon sky. The rhythmic sound of the droplets splattering directly above Harry's head made it hard to make out Professor Sprout's lecture on the flowering plant standing before her. He wasn't really worried about not being able to hear what the professor was saying, though. If the lesson we're going to involve something dangerous, she would have said something about it when they first arrived. Instead, she'd greeted them with an overly cheerful smile and told them to choose a workstation for the duration of the double herbology lesson.

Their class schedule had been rearranged once they had talked with Professor Flitwick and had gotten moved from Divination to Care of Magical Creatures that they had not chosen to take last year.

Harry, Joe, and Catherine soon chose to work at a table in the back of the greenhouse, closest to the door and furthest away from the professor's watchful eyes. They weren't keen on being forced to endure the chilly midday lesson, especially now that the long autumn days were growing colder as winter drew nearer. It was even harder for them to suffer through Sprout constantly favoring the Gryffindors. Their' presence made a sour expression darken Harry's face. He couldn't stand most of their attitudes.

Along with the fact that his mind was still on what he had read down in the chamber.

The lesson today was on Gillyweed.

"Now Class" Professor Sprout began to talk " Some of the effects of Gillyweed is that when eaten by a human, it can give them fish-like attributes, including gills to process oxygen from water, webbing between the fingers and toes for easier swimming, preventing blinking, and adapting to cold temperatures in water. While under the effects of Gillyweed, one cannot breathe air with their lungs".

"Gillyweed can also be used as an ingredient in several potions, as well as being eaten raw".

That sounded interesting.

Harry could think of several fun and interesting things that he could do when swimming in the water for some time.

Listening to the professor through one ear he pondered the magic that he had been reading in the chamber these past few days.

He had been learning a lot of spells in the past few days but he realized he was lacking in one crucial element.

Practical experience.

Now there were not a lot of opportunities to practice in real life combat.

But he would still keep practicing where he could.

Maby Fleur had some ideas they could bounce off each other.

**Author Note** Harry and Joe saving Heromine and Max was not really about saving those two characters as it was Harry starting to develop a bit of a hero's complex.


	42. Chapter 41

**Author Note** Yes I am a fan of Avatar so the Blood Magic idea came off of Bloodbending.

It's an interesting concept to me that I can see many uses for throughout this story.

I'm not trying to steal anything I just wanted to incorporate a good idea

Chapter 41

December 18th, 1991

Hogwarts

"Good afternoon everybody," Professor Kettleburn said

"Today I have some creatures that I would like you to look at. You don't need to take any notes; therefore, you may leave your school bags here until the end of the lesson. Though I advise you to listen carefully, as the information I give you will come up again in future lessons. Now, we will start with an example of a more difficult creature, it's about two minutes of walking from here. Follow me."

Kettleburn showed the class, which all left their bags behind, around the edge of the forest, where several paddocks were located, in which he had assembled the first type of creatures.

"These beauties are hippogriffs. In the wizarding world, they were used for traveling, transport of large deliveries of goods over long distances, especially before portkeys were discovered, and also as guards for wizarding properties much further in the past. For a long time, the common magical folks didn't know how to properly handle them, which meant that their proud nature and tendency to attack if they felt insulted made them hard to get past. Some also considered them status symbols, as they look very impressive. Once it was spread how to handle them, the transport aspect became predominant for their position in the wizarding world.

"Today, they mostly work in businesses where you deal with sensitive things that react badly to spells being used to handle them. Common spells like the levitation charm to move crates can badly influence certain potion ingredients, which Professor Snape can tell you more about. It is also what the Hogwarts hippogriffs are used for most of the time. A grown hippogriff can carry about two hundred kilos of good easily, plus its rider. Meaning, you could have three hundred kilos of weight one of them carried each day."

The children looked interested.

"Hippogriffs will be covered in our end of the year exam though, Now let's continue and I will show you our next rascal."

They left the paddocks behind and Professor Kettleburn showed them to a series of small cages with a glass front, showing several small black creatures with a beak.

"Inside these cages are nifflers. They are harmless, except that they are extreme kleptomaniacs. They will steal everything shiny they find. Their sacs can hold much more than you would imagine. If you work with nifflers, you have to always make sure that your valuables are either tightly secured to your body, or even better, not have any on you, as they will go after them."

The students nodded, and some girls cooed over the cute creatures. It didn't seem like them being that naughty.

They continued, and the Professor showed them bowtruckles, mentioning that they were part of the fifth-year curriculum, then crups, fire crabs, salamanders and then some abraxans to finish the tour.

"The abraxans we have here are typical examples of their species with golden fur and a silver mane. These two have been sent here because the Beauxbatons stables are undergoing renovations and they didn't have the space to keep all their school's abraxans. Where Hogwarts uses thestrals to pull our carriages from the station to the school, Beauxbatons in France uses Abraxans," explained Professor Kettleburn, "As these two will only stay here until February, they will be part of all years' Care of Magical Creature lessons until then.

"What are thestrals, Professor?" Ashlee asked, "I always thought that the carriages didn't have any creatures pulling them, as you can't see anything."

"They are special horses that can only be seen by those that have seen death, Miss Azzolini. They are carnivores and Hogwarts has one of the only domesticated herds in the wizarding world. Due to the aspect of only a few people being able to see them, they are considered unlucky by superstitious people. Thestrals are very useful to have around though. Professor Dumbledore regularly uses them to travel to ICW conferences in other countries, as international portkeys can be very unpleasant for the body. He also collects several of his ICW colleagues on the way there, as they agree with him that using a thestral-drawn carriage was much better than suffering the often-sickening effects of international portkeys," answered Professor Kettleburn, "Though you won't be introduced to the thestrals before fifth year at the earliest."

The students filed that information away again.

"All right, Over break, I want you all to read up on three creatures. The first one is the flobberworms. We will only cover them in your next lesson briefly, as, while they have to be covered in class, they aren't hard to handle and don't require any kind of actual skill. The second one is the Streeler. The third one is the Niffler. We will be covering both of them during the next two lessons.

"Now, that's all for today. I don't have any essays for over break, but I will quiz you on those three creatures during our next class. Dismissed," announced Professor Kettleburn

Harry walked with his friends back to the castle.

That was their last class of the day before getting ready to go on the trains to go home.

He felt apprehensive.

Despite what he had been expecting his parents had interacted with him very little this year.

Sure they had spent a lot of time with Max but that was partly due to Lilly making him take Muggle Studies and James being his flying instructor.

The four of them had interacted very little these past four months.

And to be perfectly honest he really could not care less.

He had great relations with the Delcours and his mentor Isaac Patterson.

Those were the best companions that someone could wish for.

It was probably for the best then that the less time he spent with the Potters the more that he could spend with the Delcours.

There were no hard feelings against his family but he just had people to hang out with that were so much better

They walked to the Great Hall to grab some food to eat before collecting their stuff and heading down to the train station.

Catherine and Joe ended up in a game of wizarding chess that they were not able to finish before they finished their meal.

So thus it became a tie.

"Time to get our stuff together," Harry told his friends.

After collecting their supplies and giving them to the house elves to take the trio headed down to the train station.

Soon they arrived at the train station where all of the other students were already the Hogwarts Express.

The Potters had already apparated home earlier in the morning.

The three of them hurried on to find a good seat for the ride home.

They eventually settled on a compartment in the front of the train.

Going inside they took their seats.

Soon the Hogwarts Express roared to life and began to move along.

The three of them started up a conversation.

And Harry's mind moved from the Potters to his silver-haired friend that he could not wait to see.

Their games were soon interrupted by the sounds signaling that they had arrived at the train station.

Getting up the three of them joined the crowd currently exiting the train.

Stepping onto the platform everyone began to search for their rides.

Catherine and Joe joined their families and Harry searched the platform for Mr. Patterson whom he saw waving him over from behind a crowd of redheads..

Walking over with a large smile on his face Harry greeted his mentor.

The two gave a quick hug when they reached each other.

Mr. Patterson turned to look at his stuff "Got everything you need Harry" He asked.

Harry nodded in the affirmative.

"And you got Medusa," Mr. Patterson asked.

Harry pointed to his suitcase.

"All right let's go then," Mr. Patterson said turning to lead Harry through a crowded Train Station.

Mr. Patterson then had Dobby take Harry's stuff to the Delcour's Place.

His out a piece of wood "Hold on to this Harry" He said

Harry nodded and grabbed the portkey alongside with Mr. Patterson.

Soon they arrived in front of the welcoming figure of Delcour Manor

Only one thought thus past through Harrys mind

I'm Home.

**Author Note** Well this series of school lessons is basically over now for this year.

I know there are a lot of people that did not like me spending so much time on the ordinary lessons.

All I would say is that this is all a balance.

Throughout this story, I will try to balance Fleur/Harry scenes. Action Scenes, Sad Scenes, Excetra.

I will write in arcs quite often where I can spend six chapters of Harry and the Delcour's traveling around Europe and then four chapters of school.

Not all of you will like every chapter and that is fine all I would say to those people is that there will be chapters that you will definitely like.

Harry spends seven years in school where he is not famous and thus lives a mostly ordinary life for a while.

I do not think it is unreasonable to spend a few chapters on school.

The next part of this story will focus on France though and Harry/Fleur.

So Enjoy and thank you for your continued interaction.


	43. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

December 20th, 1991

Paris, France

Harry sat at the kitchen table with Fleur eating some breakfast before starting the day.

They had decided to visit a Muggle amusement park called Jardin d'Acclimatation later on today after having recently gotten off school.

Visiting an amusement park had been something high on their to-do list but they had never gotten around to it.

They finished up their food and Fleur took his plate to wash before they headed out with Mr. Patterson.

Speaking of which Harry saw the older wizard arriving in the kitchen most likely having just gotten up recently.

He looked incredibly well rested and ready to go.

"Morning" Isaac said cheerfully "Have you two finished your breakfast yet".

"Yes," Harry nodded "Fleurs just finishing cleaning up and then we can leave".

Soon his friend came out of the kitchen and together they left the house before apparating away.

They arrived in a magical house in the center of Paris that people could arrive in before heading out into the muggle part of the city.

Leaving the building the three of them walked until the reached a front entrance gate.

Stopping Isaac took out a bag and ruffled through it pulling out several coins.

"Here," He said, "Appoline gave me some muggle money that you two can spend here".

"Thanks," Harry said as they walked into the park.

"Where would you like to go first," Harry asked turning to Fleur.

Her response was "Rollercoaster"

The line took nearly forty-five minutes to get through, but they were now nearing the giant rollercoaster. It was the kind where you were tilted so your legs were dangling and you faced the ground.

Isaac smiled at the ride attendant and stepped onto the raised platform where the gleaming carts hung. He lifted himself into the seat, followed by Harry and Fleur

After everyone was seated in their cart, the bands closed around their ankles and a protective safety belt fell down in front of them.

Soon the floor lowered into the ground at least 2 feet below them. The carts then quickly tipped forward, so they were now facing the platform to board the ride, and then it shot off with the force of what felt like a jet plane.

They rose up a rather large chain lift right at the start, at which point Fleur started muttering curse words under her breath,

When the reached the highest point on the rollercoaster, they had a perfect view of the whole park. It seemed amazing for a moment…and then they plummeted back to earth. The ride took them through a complex series of loops, corkscrews, and terrifyingly high drops until at last, they arrived back at the station.

Fleur looked as though she was absolutely terrified by the time they had come to a full stop. The safety belts around them released, and for a moment, when Harry didn't see hers rise up he came to the realization that she was still gripping the handlebars so tightly that they could not rise.

Harry got off his cart and came around back to hers.

"Hey" He muttered bending down "You need to let go of the handles so that you can get out".

Realizing what he was saying eventually Fleur let go of the bar and took Harrys offered hand to help her out.

Isaac looked at her in concern "Are you ok Fleur I thought you wanted to go on this ride".

"Oui" She replied shakily "I did not know that the roller coaster would be that fast though".

Harry chuckled "Let's go sit down then and get our heads oriented again".

Walking down the stairs with Fleur holding on to his arm to make sure that she did not fall

"This is why I do not like flying" She muttered in his ear.

He could not help but smile slightly at they walked to a park bench.

Once they had sat down Isaac took out a map of the park at looked around.

After Fleur was feeling better Isaac showed them the map.

"I don't think fast rides are such a good idea now," He said.

Fleur interrupted "You two can go on those things I can just wait by the side".

Isaac shook his head "No we have to stick together" He insisted."So I was thinking how would you like to go on something like the Ferris wheel that is not as fast".

After thinking for a few seconds Fleur agreed that would be a better idea.

They arrived in front of the Ferris wheel.

After paying the operator the three of them got on one of the seats.

Soon they were up in the air.

"Wow" Harry gasped looking around at Paris "This is so much different than flying".

Isaac chuckled "Yes it is a unique sight that's for sure," He said gazing at the Eiffel Tower.

Fleur also seemed to be quite interested in seeing the sights due to the fact that she was scooting across the bench to look over the side along with Harry.

He let her scoot in beside him to get a good view from the Ferris wheel.

Isaac smiled and let the two of them enjoy the ride.

Soon after having spent a couple of hours in the park they left to explore some more places in Paris.

The Louve and Eiffel Tower where wonderful places to visit.

It was a pain though how many stairs they had to climb to reach the top of the tower.

The view from the top was absolutely breathtaking though.

He swore he could see for miles around.

Fleur despite having visited the Eiffel Tower before still found the experience to be quite enjoyable.

After that, they walked to many other places around the city.

Fleur then dragged them into the one thing he'd been dreading, a clothes shop. The shopkeeper and the assistant recognized Fleur instantly and greeted her cheerfully while eyeing him curiously. The two women who were both in their late 40's knew Fleur from way back.

The woman at the cash register started chatting cheerfully with Fleur as she and the other woman dragged him around the aisles stuffing shirts, T-shirts, jeans, and shorts into his arms which was already becoming a big pile. He had absolutely no say in the clothes but he also knew there was nothing he could do about it.

He ducked inside and began the torturous task of trying on each and every article that she had picked for him and walking outside for her to see and deem whether satisfactory or not helped by the other women. This was rinsed and repeated about 13 times until he finally lost count.

Two agonizing hours later and with a noticeable dent in their money they left the shop laden with multiple bags in their hands all filled with clothes for the next year. Ducking into a deserted corner Isaac quickly sent the bags home with a wave of his wand so they wouldn't have to carry them around for the whole day.

They found a restaurant that served a lot of France's traditional dishes which he was quite eager to try. The place had tables outside and inside and they chose to sit outside, watching the cars pass by while they chatted and ate.

"We'll get ze zings maman wants now? We can send zem back 'ome so we don't 'ave to worry about eet later."Fleur said after they finished eating.

"Yeah." They made their way to the local supermarket where she took out a list and proceeded to search for the items her mother wanted. The place was huge and Harry kept wandering down different aisles before she finally shooed him away saying she needed to buy some things which for some reason she didn't want him seeing leaving him to do a bit of exploring until she was done.

Soon Harry and Isaac saw Fleur appear with a bunch of items and as before Isaac disposed of the bags the usual way. Then Fleur led him to the center of the town which was rather crowded now. People were seated in benches around the clock tower or in some cases on the floor and generally just enjoying themselves.

They then spent the next couple of hours having fun.

"Finally remembered to come 'ome?" Apolline asked with a smirk once they'd gotten back. The Three of them sheepishly muttered their apologies. It was already 8 and they'd promised they'd be back home by 7. "Get changed and come down quickly, Fleur your grandmere 'as been demanding where you two were ze moment she got 'ere." They nodded and quickly went upstairs, stopping to give Gabrielle a box of chocolates he'd bought when they were buying the things Apolline wanted.

After a quick shower, he found Fleur waiting just outside his door when he opened it wearing something similar to what she had the day before.

Catching his eye she smiled before following him downstairs.

_"Fleur?"_ A pleasant voice called from the direction of the dining table and Fleur hurried towards the woman sitting that looked unnervingly similar to Apolline. _"Oh, you've grown again."_ She laughed as Fleur hugged the woman tightly and stopped her from getting up. The woman who was Fleur's grandmother looked like she was still in her mid-thirties, her eyes the same bright sapphire orbs as Fleur's. The only thing that gave away her old age was her posture and the note of fatigue in her voice.

_"It's nice to meet you, ma'am."_ He said with a grin.

_"Yes, I have heard much about you Harry my name is Elena Delcour,"_ Elena said cheerfully. _"And I'll have you know now that I do not like being called 'madam'._ I'm only as old as I feel."

Harry smiled and settled into the conversation.

Soon they settled down to eat and catch up about what had happened over the past year.

As Harry sat at the table he could not feel more at home than with the Delcours.

**Author Note** If anyone is interested in being a beta for this story and has some amount of experience in helping with spelling and grammar and could PM that would be much appreciated.


	44. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

December 26th, 1991

Delcour Manor

"So you're finally done," Appoline said as she walked in to see Fleur and Harry working in the living room.

Having nothing to really do until Sebastains Senatorial Ball later on in the evening the two students had decided to get their homework done together.

Over the course of this year, they had worked together by talking over the locket but it was always easier working with someone face to face where you could actually fully see what they were doing.

After about two hours they had thus gotten their work done and had spent the rest of the time talking.

But now it was getting close to dinner.

So after several hours of work Appolines voice was a welcome sight.

They followed her into the kitchen to eat.

After they sat down Appoline began to speak.

"Sebastian will be home around seven," She said, "It turns out we are not hosting the ball this year".

"Oh," Fleur seemed confused "Than if we are not hosting where will it be".

"It will be held at the home of Senator Charles Aznavour this year who is the new Minority Whip or basically Sebastains new deputy".

"What happened to Senator Yourcenar then," Harry asked.

"She retired in the March Elections" Appoline explained.

"Oh," Harry said nodding.

Recently he had become very interested in learning about the French Senate from Sebastian.

The world of politics excited him.

Sebastian said that he would be a good fit in the Senate and he would definitely support any run he made in the future.

Despite the fact that he was still in his fourth year Harry had started thinking about what he would want to do after Hogwarts.

That was still a bit in the future true but he was already halfway through school.

And who knew maybe when he was in his twenties or something he would consider a run for the French Senate.

But for now, he was just content with listening to stories.

The rest of that stuff was still far in the future.

He was perfectly content for now just sitting eating and chatting with his best friend and practical mother.

Soon they finished eating and Appoline instructed the two of them to start getting dressed.

Harry was confused.

There was still a bit of time until they had to go and his outfit would not take that long to put on.

He realized though that comment was probably meant more for Fleur than him though.

Harry would never fully understand why it took so long for girls to get ready especially for Fleur who always looked wonderful no matter what she wore in his opinion

But none the less they went upstairs to get changed anyway.

.He heard pounding on the wall and from Fleurs room next to him.

Walking up to the barrier he asked what was wrong.

Very faintly he heard "Arry can you come over here and help me with something please".

Shrugging he left his room and headed in to see what his friend was having difficulties with.

"Yeah," Harry said walking in "What's the problem" He quired.

"Can you zip my dress please?"Fleur asked."I'm having trouble reaching the back".

"Sure," He thought there would have been a spell to do that but decided to not think much of a simple request he got her dress worked out after much instruction.

She looked quite nice in her black lace dress.

And then he helped her make sure she could walk in the heels.

Practice walking in those definitely made Fleur a lot more natural of a walker than when he had helped her try them on before.

His tie felt very uncomfortable so he imagined that walking in heels would feel roughly the same way.

These Senate Balls were important to Sebastian and his work though so they had to dress their best

And then Harry watched as Fleur applied all of her facial whatever the heck those were.

He was able to convince her though after a bit of talking that she was pretty enough and didn't need the extra work.

After making sure everything else was good they then left the room and headed downstairs.

Helping Fleur down the stairs they meet everyone in the living room.

Sebastian and Appoline were all dressed up and ready to go.

"We are leaving a different way," Sebastian said "Floo".

Harry felt Fleurs anticipation flare up beside him.

And to be honest the sort of felt the same way.

He could now use the Floo without much problem but he still found it a nuisance.

The key for him was to keep walking.

Appoline was the first one to disappear into the fire.

Harry then took a handful of the green powder and walking into the fire he threw a handful in along with the manor name.

He did his best coming through the fireplace to try and keep walking.

Stumbling slightly he was happy though that he did not end up flat on the ground.

A minute or so later Fleur came through the fireplace.

He was able to make sure she did not end up a heap on the ground though.

She gave him a gracious look.

Soon Sebastian came through the Fireplace and they meet their host.

Harry had no idea who the Senator was but he seemed to hit up a conversation with Sebastian pretty easily.

Having already ate before they left the group headed to the main room where people were dancing and mingling.

Sebastian soon ended up talking with his Senate Colleagues and Appoline ended up chatting with several of their spouses.

They soon meet up with Henri Deraismes son of Senator Maria Deraismes who was the powerful head of the Finance Committee.

Henri seemed nice enough to talk with but soon had to break off the conversation when his mother pulled him away.

Sebastian served on Finance and apparently was not in a good relation with Senator Deraismes at the moment.

It was not that case around the room fully though.

While the children of the Senators of the same party mostly interacted with each other a few of the more social Senators allowed their children to mingle with the others.

Soon Harry and Fleur ended up chatting with a group of about half a dozen children who seemed kind enough and their parents were not as strict as Senator Deraismes.

They still felt out of place though.

Not really knowing any of the Senators Sebastian worked with made it even harder to interact with their children.

Harry had no idea how Appoline was chatting with so many people.

Soon Fleur and Harry decided to dance.

As the night progressed more and more people started dancing.

That was mostly the Senators and their Spouses though as the children did not really know a lot of people there.

So to make it less awkward they ended up dancing in one of the relatively abandoned hallways.

As the two of them swayed Harry was in thought.

He was not disliking the time per se.

It was important to Sebastian so he would gladly go.

It was a bit frustrating not knowing anyone though.

Fortunately, Fleur knew a few of the children from going to Beaubatonx with them or from one of the times Senators had come over to visit her father and had brought their children.

He still knew very little names though.

Amongst the adults thought the power dynamic was fascinating though.

Sure there was animosity amongst some of the top Senate leadership.

But with a good portion of the rank and file, they were a lot calmer and friendly to be around.

He did not fully understand why people would come to these events though if there were going to be getting in arguments with people from the opposite side.

It was a social event though so he should not be surprised.

He felt a pain in his foot and then.,

Looking down he saw the Fleur had accidentally stepped on one of his feet with her heels.

"I'm so sorry Arry," Fleur said separating "I wasn't looking at my feet".

He chuckled "No its find I was not really looking at my feet either" Reassuring her "It's fine you could take off the heels though if you want".

Taking his idea Fleur took off her shoes and continued dancing.

The rest of the night was spent dancing in various spots and having as good of a time as they could.

The animosity in the room between the Senators was thus forgotten as Fleur and Harry enjoyed dancing with their best friend and having a marvelous experience.

**Author Note** As I plan out this story I have decided that later on in the story after he graduates Harry will launch a Senatorial Campaign.

I want something different than him becoming a combat Auror.

Although that won't happen until the second story though.

I'm getting ahead of myself though

Any Thoughts?


	45. Chapter 44

**Warning** Some of you will not like all of this chapter

Chapter 44

May 25th, 1992

Hogwarts

"Harry, Harry" He heard a voice calling out to him as he was walking to class.

Turning around he saw one of the Gryffindor First Years running up to him,

Longbottom wasn't it.

"Yes," Harry stopped to meet the younger student "Is everything ok Mr. Longbottom".

Neville stopped once he reached Harry and finally spoke after about a minute or so of him catching his breath.

"It's about your brother Harry," Neville said still looking wiped out.

"Yes," Harry asked raising his eyebrow "What seems to be the problem".

"Its Max and his friends there going to try and smuggle a dragon out of Hogwarts" Neville explained.

Harry was confused "Where on earth do you get a Dragon in Hogwarts," He asked puzzled "And why would you need to smuggle one out".

"Its Hagrid's," Neville said "The Groundskeeper".

Hagrid Harry thought.

Oh yes, the Groundskeeper he kept seeing Max and his friends visit when he was having Quittich Practice.

Hagrid was always the most eccentric in the castle.

He saw several of the creatures the man was raising.

It was easy to imagine Hagrid replacing Professor Kettleburn in the future who had been looking pretty pale recently.

It was also easy to imagine Hagrid getting a dragon.

But he still had questions.

"Why can't Hagrid get rid of the dragon then," Harry asked, "He's a teacher why do some students have to take it".

"I don't know," Neville said worriedly"They're going to take it to the Astronomy Tower tonight and give it to Ron's brother, he works at a dragon range".

"Dragon Range you say" Harry mused "And why did you decide to come to me instead of discreetly telling a teacher".

"I didn't want to get them in trouble," Neville said shyly "Their only doing it to help out Hagrid".

"But why me" Harry repeated.

"I wanted to see if you could talk to Max," Neville asked, "'I don't want him to get in trouble and I figured if his brother talked to him he would listen".

Harry nodded and then noticed the time "Ok Neville I will see what I can do but I have to get to class now" He said.

"Ok thanks Harry" Neville smiled and left as well.

Harry's thoughts were jumbled up as he walked to Potions.

His brother really was an idiot

But what should he do about it?

He already saved his life once this year and did not want to have to repeat that again.

So he hesitated on direct intervention.

What to do though if anything.

As he arrived to class he put away those thoughts and decided to think about the issue later.

In the end, after consulting with Fleur he decided to let a teacher know what was going on.

After much consideration, he decided on Professor Flitwick.

The other teachers would probably either rip Max and his friends apart or in his parent's case threaten to withdraw them from school.

Flitwick was nice though and he seemed as impartial of a teacher that you could get.

So after class had ended he slipped the professor a discrete note.

He seemed surprised enough at first but during dinner caught his eye and gave a small thumbs up.

And now to see what would happen.

It didn't take long to figure that out though.

The next morning the one hundred points from Gryffindor seemed like a good enough indicator of what had happened last night.

From what he had managed to gather he was not the only one who knew of what the "Golden Trio" was planning.

Apparently, his conversation with had been overheard by a certain blonde Slytherin,

And thus Snape and McGonagall had both ended up busting the trio along with Professor Flitwick.

The Fiasco that resulted was quite spectacular from what he heard.

Soon the Potter Professors had found out what their son had gotten involved in and where quite horrified.

The points lost where only the small part.

Lilly and James were in the Headmasters office apparently giving a firm Max.

And then more parents soon arrived based on the Weasley Matriarch who gave a very interesting face upon seeing her son.

All in all a very interesting time.

And to top it off Malfoy got detention for sneaking around the school.

So Max, Ron, and Draco would serve detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest.

Having detention with the person that caused you getting in trouble in the first place seemed like a stupid idea to Harry.

But then again he didn't make the rules he just followed them and had fun watching the chaos caused when people broke them

Really quite hilarious.

Joe, Catherine, and Fleur also all found the situation quite humorous.

Oh Well

Harry had no idea what to think of Hogwarts anymore.

He had woken up to hear something about his brother being in the hospital wing and that some people had died

And no one knew quite what the hell was going on.

When he reached the Great Hall for the End of Year Dinner everything was weird

So many people where missing.

Students were rapidly filling their seats and chattering loudly, excited for the feast.

But neither of Harry's parents were there.

Nor where Max and his friends or any of the Weasleys.

The Headmaster then began to speak looking much more serious than Harry had ever seen him in a while.

"Another year has gone!" Albus cried, spreading his arms wide and beaming down at them. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast."

"What a year it has been!" The Headmaster continued. "Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were…you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts…"

"Now, as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place: Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two."

"Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six, and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two," he finished, smiling kindly at the Slytherin table, which erupted into raucous applause and cheering.

"Yes, yes, well done Slytherin," Albus called loudly, as the noise diminished. "However—"

"—Recent events must be taken into account," he said, nodding earnestly.

And then the mood became a lot more severe.

"Last night I regret to inform you that some terrible events have occurred and that I must sadly tell you today".

The old headmaster sighed.

"Some of you may notice the absence of Mr. Potter or his friends Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Granger".

"Last night they got involved in a mess that never should have happened in Hogwarts and had horrible effects with someone so young:"

Dumbledore sighed and let out a tear "Mr. Weasley is unfortunately deceased and while Mr. Potter and Mrs. Granger still live they have been seriously injured".

Harry felt his vision go black.

Professor McGonagall then took over for the Headmaster who was collecting himself "As of this moment we know very little of the events that have transpired but to those who know those affected our deepest sympathies"

The whole was in shock as Albus then spoke"I thus have the sad duty of a few last-minute points to dish out then. Let me see. Yes…

"First—and it is the hardest thing to award points to someone posthumous but to Mr. Ronald Weasley…"

"…for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, and to his undying courage I award Gryffindor house one hundred points."

He went on, "Second—to Miss Hermione Granger…for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

"And Third—to Mr. Max Potter," Albus continued, "For pure nerve, and outstanding courage…I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

Pomona gave an odd, strangled gasp, and Minerva's jaw fell open. She was dreaming, surely this was not real…Gryffindor was tied precisely with Slytherin…this could not be….a two-way tie…it was more than anyone could have hoped for.

"Also There are all kinds of courage," Albus said gently. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends, I, therefore, award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."

Harry saw the green hangings change their colors to a fierce crimson and gold…the serpent became a lion…but no one seemed to notice.

The feeling of shock was universal

**Author Note** To any Ron supporters reading this I'm sorry for killing him off and I hope you continue to read

All I would like to say is the tasks are very dangerous and the fact that the trio escaped with so little injuries in Canon is a miracle in itself.

Well, I try and make this story as interesting and unique as possible.


	46. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

June 18th, 1992

France

Two Weeks

It had been two weeks now since Ronald Weasleys Death.

The shocks truly affected everyone.

He was truly the first person Harry knew that had perished in his vicinity.

And what an impact it had left on anyone.

After getting over the shock a lot of the students ended up in utter hysterics.

Harry just felt cold.

Hogwarts was supposed to be the safest place in England and a student had died in its walls.

So while Weasley's death was sad the bigger concern was how on earth security had slipped so low.

And what would happen to his brother and his friend with their injuries.

Soon after Dumbledores speech students had been flooding the Hospital Wing trying to see Max and Heromine.

Those people had been swiftly kicked out by the stern Madame Pomfrey.

Being related to Max was actually a sad benefit in this instance.

The nurse had allowed him in to see his brother and he almost wished that he had not gone.

Seeing his parents by his brother's bedside was heart-wrenching and seeing his brother in the hospital bed was unbearable.

Despite everything that had happened these past few years he did not wish harm on any of his family.

They did not look at him and after seeing enough sadness he turned tail and left without a word.

Madame Pomfrey said the two of them would make a full recovery although it would take a while.

It was a much-subdued train ride home that year.

Lily and James had decided to stay at the school until Max got better.

It would be much worse for Grangers family though.

Apparently, a month before their excursion Heromines father had been killed in a freak accident.

And due to the fact that her grief-stricken mother could not enter a magical facility, she would have no family by her side until she was good enough to walk.

Poor Girl.

Harry greeted Mr. Patterson a lot more somber than usual.

Having not heard yet what had happened Isaac pulled him to the side where Harry gave him all of the limited information he knew.

And that was the first time that he had seen his mentor angry.

He took Harry to France first but left after having a few words with Sebastian.

Never before had he heard Mr. Patterson curse so much under his breath.

Sebastian would not tell him what was going on but instead got Harry and Fleur to go upstairs and chat while he contacted some of his friends in the Government.

Fleur had been shocked just as much as everyone else.

After talking with his friend Harry realized how much he was not so much hurting since he had never been real close to Weasley.

But he was deeply shocked at the exposed vulnerability of the ancient school.

And much as he would prefer to not admit it seeing his brother laying their the boy who lived had struck a nerve with him,

Fleur was then absolutely wonderful in helping him work out his emotions and make him feel better.

She was just wonderful.

And he realized how much he valued their conversations now more and more every day.

And then this episode brought in to play one thing that had been crossing his mind for some time now.

He was falling for Fleur Delcour

It all came to a head after a meeting he had with Sebastian and Isaac

They had been talking about what had been learned from Hogwarts

From what Sebastian had been able to gather from his contacts Dumbledore had hidden some mysterious object in the bowels of Hogwarts as some sort of trap.

Whom the headmaster was trying to trap was a mystery still to them but from what they had gathered the trap had succeeded more or less

But the whole thing was meant for grown-ups. Max and his friends were never supposed to be down there in the first place.

Why they had decided to go and how the school's security had been so lax on that day where still enigmas to everyone

Under increased public pressure the British Ministry would be launching a year-long investigation.

All of the Aurors currently combing Hogwarts would be gone by the time school started up again but Sebastian said the investigation would most likely result in no results

Dumbledore despite flaws he made was still a powerful individual

But they suspected that the investigation was mainly to calm the public and cover the politician's arses.

A good thing that came of this whole mess though was a new rule that Hogwarts Saftey standards had to be reviewed every five years now instead of the old twenty years.

Harry never even knew that safety inspections happened at Hogwarts much less every twenty years.

That amount of time was also quite ridiculous.

In good news though Max and Heromine were projected to make a full recovery.

He would hate to be the one to have to tell them about Ron's death though.

But then after their talk, the conversation turned to a slightly different topic.

"So, how do you feel about Fleur?" Sebastian asked once the waitress left again.

"I . . . I like Quidditch. Do you think the Cannons will ever be any good?"

"That's not going to work with me," Sebastian answered, "So, one more time, how do you feel about her?"

"Why is it important?" he asked, "I think I have a few more important things to worry about right now with school starting up again soon."

"So, you're not interested in her then?" Sebastian asked for clarification.

"I didn't say that."

"Then you are interested in her."

"I didn't say that either."

Sebastian turned to Isaac, "Does this conversation sound familiar?"

His mentor smirked. "When we where kids and you were thinking of asking Appoline out."*

"Exactly."

Sebastian took another bite of his lunch before trying again with Harry. "My Daughter is smart, beautiful, and knows how to handle her wand as well. She has her faults like everyone else, but she is a fine witch, a fine witch."

Harry could only grunt his agreement, not sure what else to say or where the conversation was going although he had some ideas.

"Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way. Let's start over." Harry waited as Sebastian took another bite of his food before continuing with his questions..

"I've noticed you and Fleur have been spending a lot of time together more than usual over the last few days, it looks like recently the two of you have grown quite close. Am I correct"?

Harry thought at that.

They had been friends now for seven years nearly half of his life.

Could Sebastian know that he had feelings for his daughter?

"I don't mind you know Harry" The elder Delcour spoke seeing Harry in deep thought "Over the past few years you have become very close to our family and I can not think of anyone else that I would want my daughter to be dating".

"Dating sir," Harry said startled out of his thoughts.

"Yes, Harry dating" Sebastian smiled "I can see it in both of you that you would make a good couple" and then likely guessing Harry's thoughts "Tell me Harry would you be interested in dating Fleur".

"I don't know," Harry finally confessed. "I would not know if she is interested in me or not though".

"She likes you Harry" Sebastian reassured him, "I can guarantee it".

"Your not that good at reading peoples body language Harry but from what we see you two definitely have something going"

"Appoline has pointed out to me that it is nearly impossible to get her to stop talking with you" Sebastian chuckled."You sure talk a lot on those little mirrors you have and she will not stop talking about places she wants to go to with you

"Your teasing is really quite cute you know along with her mirroring you at times"

"Mirroring," Harry asked confused.

"I mean that her body language, posture, or even what she's saying reflects what you said or did. So if you take a sip of your glass, she'll also take a sip of her glass. Or if you cross your legs she typically does the same".

Harry finally spoke "Merlin I hope that's true, I like her too"He finally admitted.

Sebastian smiled "I thought so," He said, "I have talked about this with Appoline and we are fine with you dating Fleur under two conditions".

"What," Harry asked dryly

"One please wait until after March to ask her".

"Why" That was a confusing request.

Sebastian explained, "In March we have elections for a third of the Senate and where I am personally facing a tough re-election race but if I win there is a good chance we will be in the majority and I will be the next President of France".

That was shocking to Harry "So I would then be dating the French Presidents daughter"/

The older man laughed "Yes and that would be a great benefit to us in helping keep the marriage alliances offers down to a minimum if they knew Fleur was already taken".

That seemed like a reasonable request although Harry could not help but feel nervous.

"And your second request," Harry asked.

"Please Use protection" Sebastian smirked, "I know your both teenagers and I trust you both but I don't want to be a grandfather until after you both graduate".

Harry just groaned at that image.

By Merlin these next few months we're going to be interesting.

**Author Note** To answer a PM I got

I have spent a lot of time over the past few days working out how I want this story to turn out.

After much thought, I have decided this will be a three-story saga with Silver Vixen possibly reaching up to 100 Chapters(Don't quote me on that though)

So I am proud to say that I have this entire series planned out now.

And now for the hard part though.

Writing everything

Cheers


	47. Chapter 46

**Author Note** I decided to try a kissing scene in this chapter

No lemons yet

I'm trying different things out.

Chapter 46

June 8th, 1992

France

Fleur did not really know what was going on.

She had recently gotten home from Beaubatonx and had not heard from Harry in over a week.

Her parents were not really that aware of what was going on in England at the moment.

Isaac was scheduled to pick Harry up from the Train Station today but they were late getting here.

Suddenly she heard a noise from outside signaling that someone had entered through the ward system.

Hopefully, it was Harry and Issac that had just arrived.

Jumping out of bed she went to the edge of the upstairs banister to see who had come.

As she had thought it was Harry and Isaac who were now in the house but they were chatting with Appoline and Sebastian in a hushed voice.

Whatever they were talking about seemed to be making the adults angry.

Soon after talking to her parents Harry headed upstairs and the adults moved to talk in another room.

She meet Harry on the stairs.

"What is going on," Fleur asked, "You're late".

Harry looked incredibly tired but none the less seemed happy to see her "Ah oh yes sorry we were delayed a bit".

"Is everything all right?"She asked concerned at her friend's weary tone.

"Yeah" Harry let out a small smile" Let's sit down at I will tell you all about what is going on"

To say that Fleur was furious after hearing Harry's story would be an understatement.

"Those utter imbeciles"Fleur growled, "How could your idiot of a headmaster cause you to be in so much of a risk".

After she spent a few minutes ranting about the English stupidity she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Looking up from her musings she gasped upon seeing Harrys radiating green eyes.

"Fleur," Harry said in a firm and yet tired voice "It's ok I'm still here everything's fine".

She felt like her emotions were running haywire at the moment.

Throwing caution into the wind she hugged Harry.

"I know" She gasped "Its just a bit of a shock that you were around something that dangerous".

Harry initially after being surprised by her initial action embraced her back.

What was this feeling?

Despite knowing that Harry was not personally involved in the events at Hogwarts Fleur felt quite anxious.

And that level of anxiety was unique for someone outside of her family.

Those emotions were confusing for her.

But what she did know was that she felt a lot better now that she was with her friend.

Later on, Harry and Fleur sat on her bed playing wizarding chess

Earlier in the day Sebastian and Isaac had a meeting with Harry in her fathers downstairs study and ever since then Harry had seemed especially flustered.

But now he seemed to be focusing on their game for the moment.

If Harry had been feeling nervous though he would not have been the only one

Soon after the men had gone into Sebastains office to talk Appoline had pulled Fleur aside.

That conversation was probably the most embarrassing one she had with her mother in a long time.

She had asked Fleur a lot about what she thought about Harry.

During their conversation, although Fleur did not say this out loud at first her mother helped her realize something that had been crossing her mind for some time now.

She had feelings for her good friend Harry Potter

But along with realizing those feelings came confusion.

She was not sure what to do now or if she should even say anything to Harry.

Despite her usual veela intuition that usually let her know wither a male was interested in her or not she got no conclusive result from looking on Harry.

Because they had grown up so close for years he had become basically immune to her veela allure.

And that was a fact that especially as she got older was a real relief.

That posed a problem though.

Fleur was interested in Harry but she had no idea whether he shared the same feelings as her.

By Merlin.

Males were supposed to worry about what she thought of them it was not supposed to be the other way around.

So all in all a very confusing situation.

Harry's voice then broke her out of her thoughts as he beat her in chess once again.

Smiling she moved from thinking about relationships and challenged her friend to another match.

They spent hours playing various games and setting their thoughts aside as they enjoyed their time together and forgot about the problems of the moment.

**Dream Scene**

That night Fleur dreamed that she was dancing together with Harry in a beautiful meadow. The wind blew her hair softly and she felt happy and contented. She continued to dance with Harry, with their bodies getting closer and closer with each step.

Fleur wore a laced sky blue dress that matched her the dress having a low cut around her neck, revealing tantalizing hints of her cleavage. The soft wind blew her hair around. Her hands were long and slender, strong and artistic with her nails painted a faint shade of blue

At one moment during their dance, Fleur moved her hand and cupped Harry's cheek while staring steadily in the forest green eyes gazing back at her.

She moved in closer and their eyelids automatically dropped as their lips brushed lightly against each-others.

Harry seemed surprised at her initiative but soon melted against her lips, which made her smile and press her lips more into him.

After some seconds had passed Fleur shifted her lips against his to slightly nip on his lower lips. He tasted a bit like frosty fresh air and pumpkin juice

Fleur then slowly plucked on his lower lip and then shifted alternately between his upper and lower lips

Harry then took hold of her lower lip and sucked lightly on it, which made Fleur take a sharp breath.

She opened her eyes to look into his and they both quickly went back to lip fight. The simple kiss slowly turned into a steamy fight over control of each other's lips accompanied the very horny smacking sound of lips hitting and sucking each other. To try and gain an advantage in their little contest she inserted her full tongue in his mouth without giving him a chance to retaliate.

They continued their little fight until the need for oxygen forced them apart.

They both ended up panting and grinning madly at each other.

She then decided to play a game-turning around with a come hither look she took off running, forcing Harry to go after her. He did so happily, with both of them laughing at the sheer joy of it all.

She absolutely loved the feel of the wind through her silver-blonde hair

Fleur was quick but Harry was taller. His longer strides ate up the distance, closing the gap until finally, he reached close enough to catch her wrist. The sudden shift in her balance caused her to stumble. He bumped into her, sending them both toppling to the ground together. They landed on soft grass, amused and unhurt. Fleur struggled to free herself, twisting her hand this way and that but to no avail. She was laughing the whole time, and so was he.

At last, she finally gave up trying to escape. She decided to then change her tactics and suddenly shouldered him aside causing him to topple onto his back. Then she rolled over onto him, forcing air out of his lung. While he lay there trying to catch his breath, Fleur managed to pull her wrist loose and broke free.

"Hah!" she shouted triumphantly, raising her hands away from him, keeping them from his grasp.

She sat on top of him with her crotch positioned oh so near to his most sensitive point. She then gently pushed him back against the ground. With both of her hands still on his chest, she lowered her lips to his.

**End Dream**

Both Harry and Fleur woke up in their respective rooms sweating profusely had having the same thought run through their minds.

"What the hell was that"

**Authors Note** So this is how I imagine the French Senate working out

There are one hundred senators

1 I am making the French Senate loosely based on the American Senate System where all of the Senators are divided into three classes and it is staggered where Senators are up for re-election every six years and are elected by everyone in France going out to vote in the polls.

So

Class 1 was last up for election in 1989 and will face re-election in 1995

Class 2 was up for election in 1991 and will face re-election in 1997

Class 3 was last up for election in 1987 and will face re-election in 1993(This is Sebastains Senate Class)

2 Elections are every two years in March so in March 1991, March 1993, March 1995, Ecetera.

3 Once a party gains 51 out of 100 seats they become in the majority and the current minority leader becomes president while the former president becomes minority leader

4 If an election results in a 50/50 Senate than the Majority party before the election stays in the majority unless the minority gains a 51st Seat.

5 If there is a tie in a Senate vote than the President who is also a Senator gains the ability to cast two votes instead of one to break a tie but only if there is a 50/50 tie

And that is my long winded explanation

Thanks for reading


	48. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

September 8th, 1992

Hogwarts

"Incendio"

A jet of flames flew out of Harry's wand at one of his configured targets.

"Bombarda,Confringo,Defodio,Depulso,Diffindo,Everte Statum"

Keeping up a constant stream of spells he did his best to replicate the spell stream that Andrei had taught him years before.

The idea was to prevent your opponent from firing at you by keeping them on the defensive.

Keeping up a repeated barrage was tiring though.

"Expulso, Reducto, Lacarnum Inflamarae"

Destroying the last of the targets Harry decided to take a short break.

He had already been going for about an hour now and figured that was a good enough moment to call it a day for now.

Heading back to the side chamber he collected his stuff and was getting ready to go when he heard a noise from the opposite end of the chamber.

Worried about what could be going on cast the Disillusionment Charm on himself and walked out of the room.

Across the chamber near the entrance, he saw a red-haired girl standing around looking awkwardly around as though she was looking for something and carrying a black book.

What was she doing down here to the best of his knowledge only Parseltongue could access the Chamber,

Walking closer he noticed who the girl was.

She was one of the Weasley clan he believed if her hair was any indicator

If he remembered correctly from last weeks sorting Ginny was her name.

But what was she doing here?

Shadowing her he watched as she talked out loud for some reason.

"I can not find the entrance master," She said, "I am sorry".

"You fool" A more guttural voice came from Ginny "Look around and find it".

Who was she talking to?

Harry decided to remove his Disillusionment Charm but still remain at a distance with his wand out.

Ginny then stopped in her tracks.

"Someone else is here" She hissed "Show yourself".

Harry decided to step out of the shadows cautious and with his wand at his side.

"Who are you" She hissed "And why are you here".

"That's none of your concern" Harry growled, "What are you doing down here Ginny".

"Ahh" She seemed to laugh "You know this poor fool what a surprise".

Harry did not say anything but was prepared for anything to happen.

"You must have the blood of Slytherin" She then said, "Would you happen to know where his snake is then it is quite important to my plans".

Harry felt his blood run cold.

This was not Ginny Weasley talking to him.

"I am sorry I can not help you with any of that" Harry told the possessed child.

"Pity" She snorted "You would have been such a help in my future plans".

She raised her wand and started to speak "Avada…

"Stupefy"

Harry having had his wand out before Ginny reacted and sent a stunner at her that caused the young girl to go flying.

He looked at the crumpled figure in shock.

She was going to cast the killing curse at him if given the time.

Walking over he saw the black book Ginny was holding was pulsating angrily.

Something was unusual about that book.

He summoned the book to him.

Harry decided to hold the book in the air instead of grabbing it due to the energy if was exuding.

Placing it on a pillar on the other side of the Chamber he worked out that he would deal with the book later.

The important question right now was what to do with the nocked out girl currently laid out on the chamber floor.

He would have assumed that detached from the book Ginny would no longer be possed any more and could go on living a normal life.

But if she were to wake her up and allowed her to go on her way would she remember the events of today even when she was possessed

He was not sure but he did not want to take any chances...

There was a way to make sure she would not remember today although it was a risk.

He kneeled down to Ginny.

"Rennervate!"

She woke up and seemed to know where she was but was a bit slow gaining all of her senses back.

Harry leaned in and tried a spell he had learned from the chamber books.

"Obliviate"

Ginny's eyes soon became glossed over indicating that hopefully, the spell had worked.

"Stupefy"

Stunning her again he decided to take her upstairs.

He picked Ginny up and started walking up the stairs again.

Once he reached Myrtle's bathroom he placed Ginny on a toilet before Disillusioning himself and Rennervateing her.

Hiding in a corner he saw Ginny leave slightly disoriented but none the less thinking that she had just fallen asleep.

He could only hope that the Memory charm hold or else there would be some uncomfortable questions asked of Harry.

In the past four years, he had, by and large, managed to slip under the teacher's radar and he hoped to keep it that way for the next couple of years.

And now what to do with the Journal.

He headed back down into the chamber where he saw the pulsing diary in the same spot where he had left it.

I idea then popped into Harry's head.

There was a fireplace in one of the side rooms that he had been trying for months to see if he could jimmy rig it to the floo network.

He now thought that he could use that Fireplace to leave Hogwarts without the Headmaster knowing,

But where to go considering Fleur was still at school at Sebastian was busy with the Senate.

Mr. Patterson could help him out.

Heading over to the fireplace and reluctantly holding onto the journal he threw in some floo powder he had gotten ahold of.

Soon he whizzed into the shop.

Not seeing his mentor around anywhere he went to look levitating the journal alongside him.

He found Isaac checking out a customer.

After he had finished helping the man Isaac noticed Harry.

"Harry my boy" He exclaimed coming over to hug Harry "What are you doing out of school and what on earth do you have there".

"Its a bit sensitive," Harry told his mentor "Can we talk in a secure room".

"Sure, Sure," Isaac said, "There is not much business going on at the moment anyway".

Once they were in one of the side rooms Harry showed Isaac the journal.

The older man gasped before looking at Harry slightly suspiciously "Harry where did you come upon a Horcrux"He asked.

"A what," Harry asked thoroughly confused."It's a bit of a long story".

Issac looked over the diary "Please tell me it would be helpful".

Harry then admitted his discovery of the Chamber of Secrets years ago and his running into Ginny Weasley today along with his dilemma in what to do to make sure she did not tell anyone that he was in the chamber.

By the end of him telling his story, Isaac looked thoroughly pale.

"Harry do you mind if you leave this with me for now," He asked.

"Sure" Harry shrugged "Gets it off my shoulders".

"And one other thing," Issac said standing up "Follow me please".

In another room that Harry had never really been in before he saw a shallow stone basin sitting on a table, with runes carved around the edges and filled with a silvery substance that appeared to be like a cloudy gas

"What is this sir" Harry asked.

"This Harry is a Pensieve. One simply takes thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure. would you mind showing me your encounter with Ginny Weasley so I may view it"?

"Sure," Harry said, "I don't know how to do that though".

"Just focus on the memory and I will do the rest of the work," Issac told him.

Harry closed his eyes and focused on his memory of his encounter in the Chamber of Secrets earlier today.

Soon he felt Isaacs wand on his forehead.

Soon he felt a foggy feeling where upon opening his eyes he saw Isaac placing a silver strand in the Penisive.

"Thank you for that Harry," Isaac said, "I think its good if you get back to school before you are missed".

"But sir," Harry asked, "What is a Horcrux".

"I will explain that to you at a later date," Isaac said rubbing his eye "Can you not tell Fleur about what happened though for right now until i can figure out what is fully going on, I will talk to Sebastian at a later date".

"Sure" Harry agreed thoroughly confused but willing to keep this quiet until Isaac could find out more.

"Good" Isaac smiled "Now get back to school".

Saying a good by to Isaac Harry went back through the fireplace to the Chamber of Secrets.

Collecting his stuff Harry realized that he needed to hurry if he wanted to be in time for Dinner.

Throwing a Disillusionment Charm on himself and hurrying up the stairs Harry had one thought running through his mind.

I really hope my Memory Charm holds for long enough.

**Author Note** For some background info Isaac was born in England but was sent to Beaubatonx for school where he meet Appoline and Sebastian.

The three of them also became friends due to working together during the First Wizarding War and then stayed in touch after the end of hostilities.

Also, I am trying to create lines to separate the time but for some reason, those don't want to load.

Sorry if that causes some confusion.


	49. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

December 17th, 1992

Hogwarts

The wintry afternoon sun streamed merrily through the tall, arched windows of the Ravenclaw windows framed with last night's snow giving the spacious room an even airier feel and causing the blue and white décor to appear refined. The occupants in the common room were mainly busy with studies, chess, exploding snap, or other things. At one of the tables by the windows were three fifth year students and the table was covered with books, scrolls, and quills as they worked on their Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment.

"Can you believe that we have to go to Lockhart's stupid dueling club" Joe said dryly.

"Lockhart is a joke." Harry agreed snorting at his contempt for their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. "He knows nothing at all about the dark arts. Even Quirrel was better!"

"Eh, but Quirrel's st-st-stuttering dr-dr-drove me in-in-insane," Andrew said interrupting Harry with a grin. He gave a shrug of his shoulders. "And I happen to find Lockhart amusing to be around."

"Pathetic is a better word." Micheal Hutchinson said looking up from Magical Me, Lockhart's autobiography and grimaced. "I have been trying to ask this Hufflepuff sixth year out but every time I get her alone, she chatters non-stopped about him."

He jerked his thumb at the smiling and waving book cover. Gilderoy Lockhart, dressed in frilly lilac robes, gazed up at the four Ravenclaws, flashing his award-winning smile.

Micheal raised his voice to a higher pitch, mimicking a version of what they had heard from several of the female students over the past few months. "Oh, Lockhart looked at me in class today and he smiled at me! And they keep going on and on and on. Will the madness ever stop?"

"I wonder what spell Goldilocks uses to attract all the girls? I would never be short of dates if I had what he has. I would have to beat girls off with a stick!" Joe pondered aloud

"If you ever turn into the likes of him," Harry warned in a low voice, "I will personally transfigure you into a pile of horse dung!"

"Aw come on I was only joking," Joe defended himself

"What I want to know," Catherine said a moment later "is what's up with this assignment?"

She picked up the scroll and cleared her throat.

"'Explain, in great detail, how I, Gilderoy Lockhart, defeated werewolves in Wanderings with Werewolves and other methods which I, Gilderoy Lockhart, refrained, at the risk of a most painful death, from using to save and protect the lives of the innocent villagers.'"

Thankfully Catherine seemed to be one of the few females in the castle that was not in love with their idiot of a professor.

It definitely made Harry's life a lot easier

"I doubt that idiot defeated werewolves," Harry mumbled

The three boys laughed.

Suddenly the entrance to the common room opened, and the group of four looked to see who had entered. A crowd of Ravenclaw girls, from first to seventh years, came piling in two at a time, chattering noisily and clutching books or photos to their bosoms.

"He signed my bag!"

"Can you believe Hogwarts convinced him to be our teacher?"

"He is so dreamy-"

"-won Most Charming Smile-"

"-all his books and now he signed them!"

"I don't even know why Lockhart wanted to put together a dueling club?" Harry pondered "From what the second years tell me, he could not even handle Cornish Pixies – fled right out of the room leaving some Gryffindors to need to round them up!"

"Well let's go then it will be starting soon," Catherine said looking at the time.

At that moment that they were getting ready to leave, a few girls came thundering down the stairwell from the dormitories, chattering and giggling loudly. Catherine rolled her eyes. "Goldilocks fan-club is giving me a major headache. Honestly! How thick can you get? He's a fraud!"

"I feel bad for you having to sleep alongside them," Harry said snickering.

Catherine growled "Sure laugh it up, Potter"

As they arrived in the Great Hall they saw the long tables were completely gone. There was, however, a long golden stage against one of the walls. Mingling nervously on the open floor, students from each house waited for the first meeting of the dueling club to begin. Harry's group arrived shortly before eight. It seemed that the entire school had turned out for the event, but the three of them noticed only half of the Ravenclaws were present (all of them seemed to be girls), and Joe surmised that the intelligent male Ravenclaws had decided that Lockhart was a fraud and not worth their time.

"Whatever," Harry said he scanned the empty stage. "Is it eight yet?"

Joe glanced down at his watch. The little hand was just two hashes away from eight. "In two minutes, but Goldilocks never starts anything on time."

Harry saw his brother sitting nervously in the corner talking with Heromine.

It was five past eight before Lockhart finally appeared, in ornate plum robes no less. Harry nearly laughed out loud when Lockhart's assistant came into the candlelight. Professor Snape seemed unusually happy that evening with his hands clasped behind his back. His dark eyes kept shifting to Lockhart, and his lips curled into a twisted smile every time.

Lockhart, smiling, waved his hand for silence.

"Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent! Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions-for full details, see my published works."

Some of the girls giggled, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape! He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry-you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

"I'm more worried about Goldilocks," Catherine whispered to the rest of them.

"I wonder if they will find all his pieces when Snape is through with him?" Joe asked in a hushed voice.

Snape was now glaring at Lockhart, his lips curling into a confident sneer, as the two professors faced each other. Both smartly raised their wands like swords in a salute and Lockhart gave a flashy bow. Snape jerked his head. Lockhart was speaking the entire time, explaining what was going to happen.

"On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course. One-two-three-"

Both professors swung their wands from above their heads towards their opponent. Snape's voice could be heard clearly in the silence of the grand hall. "Expelliarmus!" Scarlet shot out of his wand and Lockhart was hurtled through the air, hit the far wall hard, and sprawled to the stone floor. Some of the Slytherins laughed and cheered their house patron, and a good portion of the students couldn't help but share their excitement.

"Ouch!" Harry said happily in his friend's ears. "That has got to hurt!"

"I think Snape has had more practice in dueling than Goldilocks knew," Joe whispered. "He did not even miss a beat, and his form was perfect. Dad has a book on the art of dueling".

They watched as Lockhart stumbled back onto the stage. His robes were slightly disheveled, but he managed a dry chuckle.

"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape," he was saying. "But if you don't mind me saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy—however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see..."

"I bet he did, that liar!" Catherine murmured under her breath. "There was no time to foresee that move."

"I think I'd better teach the students how to block unfriendly spells first," Lockhart murmured helplessly. He was avoiding Snape's eyes, and he pointed at the closest pair—Gryffindor second years.

"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," Snape quickly interrupted. "How about Malfoy and Potter?"

The hall fell deathly silent as the two second years were herded into the center of the large room. Harry glanced wearily at his brother, and the three Ravenclaws edged closer to watch the duel.

"What is Snape playing it?" Catherine whispered in Harry's ear. "They are second years, for goodness' sake.

"Snape doesn't like Max very much," Harry responded grimly.

The two dueling second years faced each other. Malfoy smirked, taunting his opponent. "Scared?"

Max's eyes narrowed. "You wish."

Lockhart gave the count down. On three, Malfoy cried out, "Serpensortia!"

Harry was startled as Malfoys wand exploded and a long black snake landed just a few feet away from Max. It raised itself up onto its coils and hissed angrily.

"Mammalssssss. Food." The snake hissed as it appeared about halfway between the duelers

The girls in the crowd screamed in horror, and Harry thought he saw someone in Gryffindor faint. Max stood stiffly as the snake peered at him, it's tongue flickering in the air.

Snape pulled out his wand lazily. "Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it..."

"Allow me!" Lockhart suddenly interrupted.

He jabbed his wand at the serpent as if it were a sword. There was a tremendous sound and more students screamed, covering their ears. The snake was knocked high into the air, and the students ran back as it landed with a loud thud. It was larger than before and angrier. The snake slithered towards the closest victim, a Hufflepuff boy before anyone could even blink.

"Sssstop! Ssssnake! SSSSSTOP!" Max yelled,

The snake spun, surprised "An intelligent mammal! Go away! I'm hungry!" and turned back to her prey.

"Sssstop! Ssssnake! SSSSSTOP!" Max repeated. "Attack the blonde male instead!"

Snape pulled his wand "Don't be scared, Potter. I'll get rid of it. Evanasca!"

And as planned the snake disappeared before it could cause any problems"

Harry was shocked.

Since when could his brother speak Parseltongue.

The shaking Hufflepuff was glaring at Max. Then his quivering voice filled the awkward silence as he demanded, "What do you think you're playing at?"

He turned sharply on his heels and pushed his way through the crowd. The Hufflepuffs followed him after giving Max angry glares. The boy who lived stood in the center of the grand hall with a look of total bewilderment on his face, as if he did not understand why the Hufflepuffs were so angry and the rest of the students were staring at him with fear in their eyes.

Heromine suddenly grabbed Max by the arms, leading him through the crowd and out of the hall. All eyes followed them. There was a subdued hush on the crowd of students.

"Well. That was exciting," Lockhart said with a nervous laugh. "That will be all tonight. Yes, that will be all tonight."

Snape peered at the fidgeting professor with disdain. "Return to your dormitories at once," the Potions master ordered. "Any student found in the halls after ten will have ten points docked from their house. Prefects!"

"Ravenclaws!" immediately their Perfect Penelope Clearwater called out as she raised her hand into the air.

The prefects of Slytherin and Gryffindor were already doing the same thing. The Ravenclaws present made their way over to where the Penelope was standing. Their faces were long and, for once, the girls were not chattering.

"Follow us," Clearwater ordered the Ravenclaws. Joe, Harry, and Catherine were at the back of the group as she led the Ravenclaws out of the hall.

Joe leaned in close to Harry. "I didn't know your brother was a parselmouth," he muttered.

"Neither did i" Harry whispered back feeling guilty that after all of these years his friends did not know of his ability to speak to snakes.

They entered the common room and were immediately bombarded with questions from those that had not attended the meeting. The girls found their voices again and began to retell the events.

"Who is up for a game of exploding snap?" Joe asked changing the subject from Max

Harry stood up.

"Where are you going?" Catherine asked.

"I'm going to bed early. I will see you guys tomorrow."

Harry went into the boys' dormitory. It was empty and quiet perfect as he laid down on his bed pulled the curtains up cast a silencing charm on them and took out his locket to call Fleur.

Author Note Their will soon be lemons in this story for fair warning.

I have changed this stories rating from T to M because of my decision to add lemons and along with the fact that when the war starts i am planning out very violent and gory battle scenes.

The Lemons will be properly marked though


	50. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

March 29th, 1993

Great Hall, Hogwarts

Harry was sitting in the Great Hall eating when he saw an owl fly up to his table.

He saw that it was a Newspaper from Fleur

Opening it he saw the headline.

Breaking News from the French Senatorial Elections of 1993

Reporting from Paris

It has currently been a good day for Minority Leader Delcour indeed

By our own reports, his party the RPR has had a strong showing against the UDF

As of five, this morning election results are as such

Valérie Kaprisky has won the Open Seat of Pierre Guyotat

Valéry Larbaud has defeated incumbent Senator Catherine Deneuve

Marie Agathe has defeated Senator Georges Feydeau

Annie Girardot Won Hervé Villechaizes Open Seat

Lucien Gaudin Won Jacqueline Auriols Open Seat

Émile Delahaye Won François Rozenthals Open Seat

Jane Avril Defeated Senator Charlotte Fréhel

Now before the election RPR held 44 Seats in the Senate and they have now reached the necessary 51 Seats to gain a majority

Now the RPR has managed to gain so many seats in this season due to the large numbers of seats UDF was defending due to their gains in 1981 and 1987 as well as a low number of retirements amongst the RPR Causus.

Also in terms of RPR Retirements their where three retirements in the party where

Jules Dumont Won the Seat Held by the Retiring François Vatel

François Caron Won the Seat Held by the Retiring Nathalie Sarraute

Auguste Escoffier Won the Seat Held by the Retiring Victor Hirtzler

Now the balance of power is currently 51/48

There is an open race still where UDF Senator Nathalie Roussel is facing a tough challenge from former Auror Captain Gérard Debreu

That race is still to close to call and is expected to result in a runoff election to happen sometime in April after a court ruling by Judge Kamel Messaoudi granted Senator Roussel's request for a recount.

Debreu is still projected to win even after a recount allthough the curent vote margin is to close to call.

Soon after midnight it was projected that Senator Delcour and his party would gain the majority He appeared in front of the Aman Le Melezin Hotel to receive the oath of office.

Shortly before heading in he spoke in front of a crowd of supporters flanked by Senators Ranhofer and Bayard.

_Having a good time everyone_

_ On a night like tonight, we are grateful, above all else for the people of France who have put their trust and confidence in us. And I want like to thank them tonight for that trust. _

_I will work hard to bring your concerns to the Presidental Mansion. And I will not let up. You know, every election is a job interview. In this case, a very long one. I shared my vision with you, you shared your stories and your concerns with me. _

_A little while ago, I spoke with my opponent. Secretary Loiseau ran a spirited campaign. She earned a lot of votes. And she earned my respect. It took a lot of guts to take on a race like this. Because of the business we are in, it also meant she would take some heat. I admire her willingness to step into the arena and fight as hard as she did. We need more people who are willing to do that, not fewer. She deserves a lot of credit for it. This was certainly a hard-fought contest. _

_And I have been so proud - so proud to have my wife beside me every step of the way. You know - you know, Appoline told me early on she wasn't ready to have me sitting around the house working on my resume again And she has gone above and beyond to prevent that. _

_She has been the most valuable player on our team. And I am so blessed to have her in my life and by my side. _

_And to my campaign manager, François Bellamy- my friends, he pitched a perfect game. Thank you, Francois. Of course, there are so many others I could thank. They know who they are. Thank you, every one of you, for giving so much of yourselves to this race. Nobody has been blessed with a better team than I have had over the years, and I want to thank them all. _

_My thoughts also turn back tonight to two other people who aren't here but to whom I owe a great deal: my parents. I learned a lot from them both. From my dad, a combat veteran of the War against Grindelwald, I learned an abiding love of this country and all that it represents. From my mom, I learned the value of perseverance _

_In many ways, my folks were just like any other parents of their generation. They were optimists. _

_As I've traveled through France over the past year, I've sensed new doubts. People are hungry for new leadership. They want a reason to be hopeful. Above all, they want some reassurance that people who run the government are actually on their side. So tonight, I pledge you this, I have heard your concerns. And I have made them my own. You will be heard in Paris._

_And, look. When you get right down to it, that's what this campaign was really all about. It wasn't about me or my opponent. It was about a government that people no longer trust to carry out its most basic duties, to keep them safe Too many people in the Presidental Mansion have forgotten that their job is to serve_

_So tomorrow the papers will say I won this race. But the truth is - the truth is, tonight we begin another one - one that's far more important than mine - and that's the race to turn this country around - to restore hope and confidence and optimism to this nation of ours._

_Some things won't change after tonight. I don't expect Senator Aznavour to wake up tomorrow and view the world any differently than he did when he woke up this morning. He knows I won't either. _

_But, look. We do have an obligation to work together on issues where we can agree. I think we have a duty to do that. Just because we have a two-party system doesn't mean we have to be in perpetual conflict. I think I've shown that to be true at critical times in the past. _

_I hope our colleagues can give me the chance to show it again. There is so much that we can and should do for the good of all of our fellow countrymen. France is tired of a government that only seems to work when it is working against them. _

_I'm also so honored to have my two daughters with me tonight._

_These women behind me are the reason that I run. They are the reason I do what I do in the Senate. I know that we can make a difference and we do every single day._

_Tonight, France rejected the approach of the current administration Tonight we said, that we can do better as a nation. Tonight, we said that we can have real change, real change. _

_And that's just what I intend to deliver. _

_So, friends, tonight turns a corner and it is time to go in a new direction. Its time to turn this country around. And I will not let you down. Thank you so much. _

Shortly after speaking and receiving the oath of office the new President Delcour released his nominations for Cabinet Members

Minister of State Hubert Latham

Minister of Justice Nicole Belloubet

Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner

Minister for Health Guillaume Canet

Minister of Finance Fabien Cousteau

Minister of Labour Muriel Pénicaud

Minister of Agriculture Laurent Garnier

Minister of Education Frédérique Vidal

Minister of Sports Roxana Mărăcineanu

The new Senate Majority Whip Adolphe Bayard then shortly afterward released a statement stating their new Committee Chairs for the new Senate session that will convene on April 5th

Agriculture Isabelle Adjani

Appropriations Gérard Lenorman

Armed Services Marcelle Lender

Housing Maria Deraismes

Budget Stéphane Peterhansel

Transportation Maurice Blanchot

Energy Louis Faidherbe

Environment Charles Perrault

Finance Olivier Martinez

Foreign Relations Laurent Garnier

Education Raymond Roussel

Homeland Security Maximilien Rubel

Judiciary Christian Louboutin

Ethics Jean Giraudoux

Intelligence François Vatel

The new Senate Leadership teams will be thus

President pro tempore Charles Ranhofer

President pro tempore emeritus Fernand Braudel

Majority Leader Sebastian Delcour

Minority Leader Charles Aznavour

Majority Whip Adolphe Bayard

Minority Whip Vincent Cassel

President Delcour has pledged to pass as much of his campaign promises as possible in his first one hundred days in office.

It remains to be seen on how that legislative agenda will take place as new bills get sent to the Senate floor to be debated.

Well, that was interesting Harry thought finishing the article.

He hurried to get to an abandoned room so that he could try and contact Fleur on the locket and so that he could talk with the daughter of the new French President.

Author Note Well Sebastian won his race and is now the new President of France


	51. Chapter 50

**Warning** More Mature topics are in this chapter

Also, I am on a roll with chapters right now along with a lot of inspiration to keep going.

Chapter 50

June 19th, 1993

France

Harry woke up in the bed that had practically been his for the past eight years. He sat up and rubbed his eyes to get the sleep out. He heard soft moans coming from Fleurs room next door,

.He Stiffened upon hearing the noise.

His eyes widened at hearing his name being spoken.

Their rooms where right next door to each other so if either of them went still and just listened they could hear what was going on next door.

But could she be doing what he thought she was doing?

It would not be fully inconceivable though.

These past few months had been a real whirlwind.

In terms of Hogwarts, their Defense Profesor Gildroy Lockhart had resigned his position supposedly to spend more time on his journeys.

The common rumor was though that Lockhart had gotten one of the members of the Board of Governors angry by trying to go after their child and that he was trying to escape an angry parent.

Whatever the reality was Harry was glad Lockhart was gone and hoped they would get a competent Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher next year.

Who knew.

It had been a hectic time for the Delcours as well.

Ever since Sebastian had been swept into office as the President of France the month after the election had been chaotic, to say the least.

The whole Delcour family had been busy attending social gatherings hosted for the new President.

So he had talked to Fleur very little in April.

And then in early May, the family had gone to Germany as part of their first state visit.

But now it was the summer and they would be having a lot more time to spend together.

And that brought up the topic he had talked about with Sebastian and Isaac last summer.

He was going to ask Fleur Delcour to be his girlfriend.

At first, he had wondered if she would feel the same about him but as he reflected back on their times together he realized that she definitely felt something for him.

And if that was not enough her masturbating in the room next to him was a pretty big sign.

Fleur kept going until it was time to get up for the day about an hour later. Hearing Fleur getting out of bed and getting dressed. Harry got dressed himself then after hearing her move. He caught up to her at the middle section of the stairs.

"Good morning Fleur," Harry greeted her "I heard some interesting sounds coming from your room," Harry said casually as they both walked down the stairs together.

Harry watched for Fleur's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

Fleur stopped and started stammering while blushing.

"So what were you doing?" Harry asked even though he already knew.

"N-nothing!" she cried out.

"Really? It didn't sound like nothing," Harry teased. Her blush intensified tenfold.

Fleur blushed brightly. "I was masturbating," she admitted

Harry, although he knew what she was doing was still slightly shocked to hear her admit it and decided to press for more. "Duh, of course, you were. I was just curious about the certain name that came out of your mouth."

Fleur's face went pale. "I don't know what you're talking about." She tried to get up and go to her bedroom but Harry stopped her. He had a tight grip on her arm as he dragged her to the living room.

"Fleur, I already heard you. I just want you to talk to me. You have nothing to be ashamed of.." Harry said softly. Fleur relaxed and Harry let her go. She took a deep breath.

"Ok, I was masturbating to thoughts of you. I like you. I have not said anything because I thought you just saw me as your sister and I don't know what Mama and Papa will say," Fleur whispered. Harry nodded at her. He drew her into a hug. He tilted her head up and kissed her deeply. They continued to kiss until breathing became a problem.

"I like you too. I didn't say anything because you never gave any indication that you liked me that way," Harry admitted sheepishly as he smiled at her in his arms."So then would you Fleur Isabelle Delcour be my girlfriend"He asked.

"Oui," She said happily and they kissed again

"So what did you kids do today," Sebastian asked as the group was sitting down at the kitchen table eating dinner.

.Harry and Fleur grabbed each other's hands.

"We're dating now," Harry told the adult Delcours.

They both blinked but upon registering the news broke out in grins.

"Thank you," Sebastian said, "I have been bombarded with tons of alliance proposals over these past few weeks and this should put them at rest".

"Wait," Harry asked. "Will I be revealed as the boyfriend of the French Presidents Daughter.

"Not yet," Sebastian said "I want you to learn Occmulcy," He told them.

"What is that," Harry asked.

"Occlumency is the act of closing one's mind against someone who wishes to read it" Sebastian explained, "You both need to fully learn the art before you can visit the Presidental Mansion and see the important things inside of it".

"I can teach you later," Appoline said.

"Thanks," Fleur and Harry said simultaneously.

After a short silence, Fleur decided to speak.

"There is another thing I was wondering," she started hesitantly, "I was wondering if I could sleep in Harry's room from now on."

Sebastian and Apolline looked at one another. Silently communicating with each other via eye movements and slight quirks of the head, the type that only married couples can do.

"That's fine with us," Sebastian said. "But If you do have sex, use the charm. I don't want to be a grandfather before you're out of school".

"Really? I thought you would be angry for us wanting to sleep together," Harry blurted out.

"Harry, I knew when I married Apolline that I would have only daughters. I also knew that they would be sexually active early on in life. I'm just glad it's with a male I trust and love rather than some brat." Sebastian explained

Harry blushed and nodded.

"We have to get up early, so off to bed you two." Apolline shooed. Fleur and Harry took off up the stairs. When they entered Harry's room, they saw that they already had sleep clothes laid out courtesy of the house elves. Harry changed into his sleep pants and Fleur into just a pair of knickers and a bra.

"Goodnight," Fleur said from Harry's chest.

"Night," Harry whispered back. He kissed the top of her head. She snuggled deeper into his chest, which was extra fun as she was mostly topless.

**Author Note** During the school year Harry and Fleur actually talk a lot on their communication lockets at least three or four times a week,

I just don't always write all of their conversations but they still happen

And to those who wondered why so much of the previous chapter was about the election well.

I intend for the French Senate to be an important part of these series and it will be a main part of the second story.

Several of the French Senators I have mentioned so far will return and have important parts later on in the series I can tell you that.

Also, Fleur and Harry are now finally dating.

After knowing each other for eight years I think this is a logical progression.


	52. Chapter 51

Chapter 51

July 1st, 1993

France

Harry slowly woke up and found a warm weight on his chest belonging to his naked girlfriend. Fleur was curled around him, her arms around him with her legs locked around one of his legs. He had to laugh at the position she put herself in because he knew that they didn't go to sleep like that.

He placed small kisses on the side of her neck and stroked up and down her back to rouse her from her sleep, making the sleeping girl squirm.

"Wake up, dear," Harry whispered to his girlfriend. Said girlfriend half opened her eyes and looked up at him which made her look very cute.

She smiled back before snuggling more into his chest.

"I don't wanna wake up," Fleur mumbled, gripping Harry tighter.

Harry laughed before unhooking her arms that were around him

"But you have to," Harry said to which Fleur let out a little grunt of frustration. She pouted at him with her arms under her chest, causing certain features to stand out. Harry stared at her body, marveling at her beauty. Fleur saw him looking at her and gave him a sexy smile.

"Coming?" she said as she got up and walked towards the bathroom, swaying her hips. Harry smirked as he got up and followed her.

He smiled as he remembered how great it was to be in a relationship with Fleur and how their first time had been

**Lemon Scene**

**No one underage may view**

**You have been warned**

Harry sleepily woke up as he felt something press into his erection. He opened his eyes to see Fleur rubbing her bum back against him as they were spooned up together. They had apparently switched positions in the night, and Harry was hugging her back to his chest as they lay in bed.

Raising his head up a bit to look at her face, he could tell that she was still asleep, but probably having a very nice dream if her actions were anything to go by.

The young man started to kiss the back of her neck, making her moan in her sleep. Harry saw her eyes flutter open and stiffen from the contact. She relaxed though when she saw that it was Harry.

"Morning Fleur," Harry whispered into her ear. He let one of his hands drift down until it came into contact with the band of her knickers.

"You can go ahead," Fleur whispered. Harry moved his hand down the rest of the way and cupped her sex. He gently slipped one finger around the elastic on the band and slowly rubbed down her bald slit, making her moan. His finger found her tight hole and slowly slipped its way in.

"Mmmmm," Fleur moaned out, as Harry continued to kiss her neck, ears, and turned her head so that he could nibble on her lips. Slowly and tenderly, he loosened her up enough to add another finger. After a few minutes, he felt her inner muscles clench on his fingers as she went through an orgasm. As her orgasm ended, Fleur rolled them over so that she was on top of Harry.

She shimmied her body down his and under the covers until Harry could feel her pull down the band of his sleeping pants; her hot moist breath on his manhood.

"So big Harry," Fleur said before licking up the side of his manhood. He couldn't help the moan that escaped his mouth as he then felt Fleur engulf him.

"Bloody Hell! That feels so good Fleur," Harry gasped out. Due to his relative newness at this he couldn't very well take the warmth and suction of Fleur's actions, so after a few minutes, he came into Fleur's mouth with a grunt. She swallowed his cum as it spurted out of his cock. Fleur took the time to remove his boxers completely. She stood up with her back to Harry.

The girl bent over and slipped her knickers fully down her legs. Harry groaned at the sight as she turned around and bit her lip.

"I don't want to wait, Harry," Fleur purred huskily. Harry nodded his head and she climbed into his lap. She used her wand to cast the Contraceptive Charm on herself before throwing her wand to the side. Fleur grasped his cock and lined it up with her wet opening. She slowly sank onto him until he bumped into her hymen which made her wince. After taking a deep breath, she plunged down until all of Harry's cock was in her.

"Please don't move," Fleur whispered. She knew it was supposed to hurt but this was still a surprise for her first time. "I think we should have loosened me up more before doing this." A few tears leaked out of her eyes. Harry wiped them away before kissing her tenderly.

"Relax love," Harry whispered. "I won't move until you tell me to." Fleur hesitantly moved her hips slightly. After she discerned the pain was lessening, she started to slowly rock her hips back and forth.

Fleur purred her approval while squeezing at his organ with the muscles in her rectum. They both felt the intimacy of this moment. Fleur surrendered herself fully to her man and Harry gladly took the offer plunging into her with unstopping rhythm and focus. It was all about his beautiful girl pressed on top of him for Harry. For Fleur, her mind was focused solely on the pleasure of the moment, her body on fire with need and arousal. Her juices leaked from her slit along her thighs in ever increasing amounts. Fleur's butt muscles continually squeezed and released his organ as it pushed and pulled through her sphincter.

Fleur's mind came back to awareness of the outside world as she felt her pussy feeling that it was going to explode. She rubbed her flower as she began to feel the Harrys prick picking up speed. Her belly muscles tightened while her thigh muscles flexed to rock her hips back and forth. She was actively driving her rear up into the thrusts of her man.

"I'm going to cum," Fleur gasped out as she plunged herself down onto Harry's cock as far as it would go. Harry's eyes almost popped out of his head when he felt the pleasure of Fleur's inner muscles gripping and fluttering around him. With a grunt, he forcibly came into her and a primal scream of ecstasy escaped Fleurs throat as she threw her hips back one last time and began to orgasm... Both pulled each other tightly to their chests, lips locked in ecstasy.

After a few minutes where their actions and lip lock slowed, they both breathed heavily as they tried to catch their breath from the intensity of the experience.

"That was amazing," Fleur said. Harry nodded in agreement. They relaxed until Harry felt himself harden inside of her again.

Here we go again.

**Lemon End**

**You may read again if underage**

"That was amazing," Harry whispered to her

"Oui," Fleur whispered back.

The Next Morning

Fleur sat down at the breakfast table carefully as she was still sore from last night.

"I knew you two wouldn't be able to wait," Fleur heard Appoline say in her ear as she laid food on the table. Fleur blushed as her mama sat down at the table muttering something about horny teens.

"So, how was it?" Apolline asked.

"It was painful at first but after about thirty seconds, the pain started to go away and it started to feel better," Fleur said truthfully.

"And just how long did you two go at it?" Apolline asked with a small smile.

"I'm not sure," Fleur answered as she tried to focus her sleep-deprived brain.

"Morning Flower," Harry said coming up and kissing her.

"Harry" Fleur squeaked before hugging her boyfriend.

"I missed you too Fleur," Harry chuckled amused. He whispered the next part, "But can you get off me? Your body is making certain areas grow."

Fleur shot up off of him blushing as she remembered that they had other people watching. Harry chuckled as he stood up and wrapped her in a tight hug.

He massaged her neck making her almost purr.

"Harry, you've gone sappy on me," a voice was heard, making Harry and Fleur break apart.

The voice belonged to his mentor Isaac Patterson.

"Okay, maybe I'm a little sappy," Harry admitted. "But Fleur is worth being a little sappy."

"Way to make a girl feel loved," Fleur muttered with a huge blush on her face.

They all laughed.

**Author Note** I know this chapter was mostly a lemon scene and I don't intend to have this be every chapter but at least a bit.


	53. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

July 31st, 1993

France

The sunlight crept into the room, slowly illuminating the room. Two figures laid in the room's bed, tangled in the blankets. A mess of black hair sat on one side, a head of blond hair just a few inches away next to it. Despite the illuminated room, neither figure stirred.

The black hair finally stirred, looking down at the blonde hair.

"Mornin'" Harry murmured.

"Mmm," Fleur grunted, burying her face in his chest. "What time is it?"

Harry's head turned to the side, looking at the clock on the nightstand.

"12:07." His head returned to its original position.

"Good afternoon," Fleur said drowsily.

"Mhm." Harry chuckled. His lips met the top of her blonde head. "I like Sundays."

"Me too." She muttered into his chest. "I don't want to 'ave to move."

"Don't we have your cousins today?" Harry asked.

Fleur groaned at the what they had to do today

Fleur and Harry were babysitting three 7-year-olds today. Nathalie and Rossi were Fleur and Gabrielle's twin cousins on their Father's side while Jacquelyn was another Quarter-Veela on their Mother's side.

All their parents had decided to go on a parents only outing for the day. At just barely 16 years old, Fleur was the oldest non-married child on either side of the family, leaving her to be in charge of the four children.

She had then gotten her boyfriend to help her with the rowdy bunch.

Harry had plans to do today with his girlfriend. But when he met Fleur she was trying to keep Jacquelyn out of trouble and the twins were applying makeup on each other some of which Fleur thought was taken from the Appolines room. Needless to say, Harry canceled their plans and he had to help Fleur handle the girls.

And then Harry suggested taking them to the beach.

"Plage! Plage! Plage!" the girls chanted. "Nous voulons aller à la plage! Allons à la plage!"

"Veuillez s'il vous plaît s'il vous plaît, pouvons-nous aller!" Jacquelyn clutched Fleur's hand. "Veuillez s'il vous plaît s'il vous plaît!"

Fleur glared at Harry, who stood sheepishly off to the side, watching the situation unfold. All of the children surrounded her and tugged at her clothes, pleading to go to the beach.

He mouthed, "Sorry."

Fleur just continued her glare. After a few more minutes of begging, she finally gave in.

"Très Bien." Fleur sighed. She flicked her wand over the four children, transfiguring all their clothes into colorful bathing suits. "Obtenir ce dont nous avons besoin, emballé. Posez les elfes de maison si vous avez besoin d'aide ou si vous avez oublié quelque chose." All four children cheered and ran off into the mansion, grabbing whatever they think they needed.

"Sorry Fleur." Harry chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"You idiot." Fleur punched his shoulder softly.

"It's all right," Harry shrugged. "As long as I'm with you, I'll be fine."

"Shut up, you don't mean zat." Fleur smiled.

"I do." Harry stepped close to her, closing the distance between them. "I really do." He pressed his lips softly against hers. His arm snaked around her back, holding her in place.

"Ewwww." They were interrupted by the children. The twins were fake gagging while the young Veela had looks of disgust on their faces.

"Fleur est embrasser un garçon!"

Half an hour later, they had walked to the sunny French beach near the manor.

Once they were all there, the children ran off into the water, leaving Harry and Fleur behind.

"Go," Fleur shooed him. "Go play with ze kids. Make sure none are taken out to sea."

"You don't wanna come in the water?" Harry asked.

"Non. Go play." She shooed him again. "I zink I'll just work on my tan." She slipped off the T-shirt and shorts she was wearing, revealing her body in a bikini. She giggled when she noticed his eyes almost bulging out and when he saw her body. "Go, keep an eye ze kids."

"All right, if you say so." Harry snapped out of his trance and went in for a kiss. Their lips touched briefly before Harry ran into the water after the cheering children. Fleur laid down a towel and flicked her wand, instantly applying sunscreen to her body.

After some time of play later, Harry decided to leave the kids for a moment to check on Fleur. She was laying on her stomach facing the water, seemingly asleep. Her head rose to look at him as he approached.

"Hey." Harry crouched down next to her prone form. "You wanna come down into the water yet?"

"Non, it's all right, 'Arry." Fleur shook her head. "Go play. I'm fine 'ere."

"Are you sure? I think you've had enough of a tan." Fleur giggled at how comical it looked when Harry's eyes roamed her body.

"I'm fine."

Fleur revealed what she had been looking at for the past few minutes thought as she grabbed Harry's hand and pointed at a cloud.

"Zat cloud looks like a fish."

"No, I think it looks more like a Hippogriff." She tilted her head to the side, analyzing the cloud.

"Hmm, it does."

They sat on the beach chairs, pointing out the shapes they saw in the clouds drifting by. In the distance, there was a large collection of gray clouds that seemed to be slowly heading their way.

Harry made sure to keep one eye on the girls who were playing in the sand.

"What about zat one? It looks a little like a snake." Fleur pointed at a narrow, curvy cloud.

"Eh, looks more like a Basilisk." Fleur promptly punched him on the arm. "Ow!"

"Zey are ze same zing!" Harry rubbed his arm and stuck out his tongue.

"That looks like a bird." Harry pointed at another puffy amorphous cloud.

"Non, it looks more lik-" Harry pulled out his wand and flicked it, muttering an incantation. The cloud shifted and took shape, transforming into a soaring bird. "Hey!" Zat's cheating!" He leaned back on his elbows looked at her with an amused expression.

"What are you gonna do about it?" Harry stuck out his tongue again. Her tongue was stuck out in retaliation.

"Well, cheaters 'ave to be punished..." Leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"Oh, really now?" Harry made no effort to stop her.

To put it simply with the children entertained for some time they did not get home until much later in the day.

**Author Note** I know Sebastian and Appoline being ok with them sharing a room for a little while is a bit of a stretch but their sixteen and will be moving out in two years and possibly starting a family shortly after that.

And Fleur and Harry were charged with looking over Fleur cousins so that they could see how they dealt with children.

Basically for practice.

French Translations

"Plage! Plage! Plage!" -"Beach! Beach! Beach!"

"Nous voulons aller à la plage! Allons à la plage!"-"We want to go to the beach! Let's go to the beach!"

"Veuillez s'il vous plaît s'il vous plaît, pouvons-nous aller!"-"Please please, can we go!"

"Veuillez s'il vous plaît s'il vous plaît!"-"Please please please!"

"Très bien."-"Very well."

"Fleur est embrasser un garçon!"-"Flower is kissing a boy!"

And yes after forty ish chapters I have decided to try French again.


	54. Chapter 53

Chapter 53

August 1993

Summer

Appoline was teaching Fleur and Harry about Occmulcy.

"The first thing you need to know about Occlumency is what the phrase, 'clear your mind', actually means. To do this, you must find your mindscape without assistance, and to do that, you must meditate."She said.

Harry frowned. "How does meditating help someone find their mindscape?"

"It relaxes your mind. Since you are not thinking of anything, eventually you will be taken to your mindscape."

It still didn't make much sense to Harry. How did closing your eyes and thinking nothing magically transport you to your mind? The mechanics didn't quite make sense to him. How did it happen?

"Is this how you and Sebastian learned it?"

Appoline nodded "Close your eyes and clear your mind. You must know where your mindscape is if you are to defend it."

Harry and Fleur did as they were told.

And ten hours later, he was still sitting in his chair, across from Appoline,

The Meditation seemed to be working for Fleur but Harry was trying not to get pissed off about the 'meditation' not working and boring the heck out of him.

Eventually, his stomach complained loudly enough that Appoline ended the lesson so that they could eat.

The days continued in this manner for a week before Harry finally got fed up with it. He'd thought perhaps the meditation thing was all about patience, but he could not sit on his ass for another day

"Appoline can we try something else I don't think the meditation is working. Isn't there some other method of finding your mind? I just don't understand how it all works! You just shut your eyes and your mindscape appears to you? Isn't there something you have to do, or whatever." He was scowling not at her but at the current situation. Okay, he was pouting, too, but damit he was sick of this lack of progress!

Appoline, on the other hand, seemed amused "There are few other methods for Occlumency, Harry. Meditation worked for me and Sebastian, and the person that taught us only vaguely explained a few other options."

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Well, let's hear it. Anything's better than this."

"Your fine trying something new Fleur" Appoline asked her daughter who seemed to have a good hold on the meditation.

"Oui Mama we need to find something that works for Arry," Fleur said nodding.

"Very well. When some wizards learn wandless magic, the place in which they find their core is closely connected to their mind. Some wizards must find the mind first, and then follow the connection to their magic in order to access it, while other wizards function the other way, as they have a stronger affinity to their magic than their mind."

"We will start with the latter method first," Appoline said.

"So what do I have to do?" Harry asked.

"You must learn to find your magic and access it," Appoline told him

"And how do I do that?"

"That is, unfortunately, going to hurt a bit," Appoline said sorrowfully "I'm sorry"

She incanted a spell

Harry felt fire burning under his skin but strangely he reveled in it. He felt its ebb and flow until he found the pool of the fire. The core. The swirling mass of power that screamed to his soul, that felt more right than anything had ever felt before. He felt… complete.

"Now remember this sensation, your core's location. Don't forget it."

As Harry got out of his mind he realized Fleur was hugging him and Appoline was looking at him apologetically.

"I'm sorry Harry with the meditation not working for you the quickest way for you to improve is a bit painful".

"Its ok" Harry gasped "As long as it helped me out"

Appoline started to head into the kitchen "Get some rest you two. We're done lessons for today. You may do whatever you like until tomorrow."

"How's practice been going?" Sebastian asked amicably as they ate dinner

The dinner table was quiet.

It was Appoline who broke the silence. "Harry has finally made good progress. It turns out he seems to respond better to actions rather than words."

Sebastian turned his attention to Harry. "I suppose it would be stupid to ask if you were having a good time since learning Occmulcy is rarely fun. Are you learning a lot, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "I managed to find my core today and we'll work on finding my mind tomorrow."

Appoline and Harry were working on their own considering Fleurs strides that had led Appoline to decided to work on helping Harry on her own.

"Now that you've found your core, you simply have to find whatever connects your mind to your magic and follow the connection back to your mindscape.

Harry nodded and felt for the ebb of his magic. It was slow to come, but soon he could feel the warmth flowing through his limbs, under his skin, but at the same time not really there. It wasn't like his blood, it didn't exist physically, but it was still there. He closed his eyes and let himself fall into that warmth, that light.

Light exploded around him from behind his eyelids as he mentally submerged himself in the river of light. Not so much seeing as a feeling, knowing, what path to take to find the pool. The source of his magic. The core.

It felt like home, Harry absently noticed as he floated in swirling current. The magic wrapped around him made him feel a sense of belonging, of purpose. It enabled him. It allowed him to do whatever he wanted. And right now, he wanted to find his mind.

As if in response to his need, his magic surged around him and propelled him out of the core and into a dark space, a nothingness that existed in between the arteries and veins of magic. He could see the entire web from where he floated, where it formed his arms, legs. He looked up, or at least what seemed like up, and followed the magic to where his head would be. What he found there was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. It was almost as bright with magic as his core, and occasionally he could make out rings of runes circling it, flowing through it… He propelled himself forward, into that mass of energy, and once he broke its surface, he found himself in a very strange place indeed. Was this his mindscape? No, that couldn't be right. This was an infinite web of light.

Appoline had said something about them being different. His mind and his mindscape. Was this his mind? What was a mindscape then? Not understanding what to do next, he let himself come back to his body. It was an uncomfortable landing at first, experiencing sensation and space again, but he adjusted quickly.

Appoline was watching him carefully.

"I found my mind, but I don't know what to do from there."

Appoline frowned. "What did you see?"

Harry shook his head of several of the thoughts. " It was like a huge web of light. I didn't know how to get to my mindscape from there."

Two eyebrows rose. "A web of light?"

Harry sat down in a nearby chair, inexplicably tired. A glance out the window showed him that it was already well into the evening. His eyes widened. Had he been in his magic for that long? His grumbling stomach answered that question. He brought his attention back to their conversation. "Yeah. I think it was magic. I mean, I followed my magic, and then I was outside of it, and I saw where the magic flowed to my head… When I went into it, I saw the web."

Appoline looked thoughtful. "In truth, I have never experienced what you have. Meditation took me straight to my mindscape, and our teacher only gave us basic theory on the only other method he knew." She frowned. "Perhaps if I take you to your mindscape via legilimency, you will be able to make the connection. Look at me."

Harry tore his eyes away from the window to look into Appolines eyes. A whisper later, and the world faded to black around him.

"Harry Wake up."

Wincing, Harry opened his eyes and found himself once again what looked to be like a graveyard.

"Try to find the web of light, Potter," Appoline said from where she was leaning against a headstone

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he thought back to the web. Nothing happened. Er… 'Try something else,' he coached himself. He felt around for his magic, and it responded to his call. The graveyard around him began to flicker, like an illusion that was losing its power. Every time it faded, Harry could see lines, and those lines connected to become a gigantic web. It almost seemed like they had created the mindscape. That they had forged the wiring, and then an illusion of colored cloth had conformed to the wiring to create tombstones, gray skies, the blackened and dead trees… It was a projection! His mindscape was like a projection of his mind! It was the way his mind presented itself to him in physical form so that it made more sense. After all, the first time he had seen the elaborate web, he had been confounded. He hadn't known left from right, but as a graveyard where physics and laws remained, he could make sense of it.

He stopped feeling for the web, the magic, and the illusion strengthened and gained back its pigment. He grinned. "All right. I think I got this."

Appoline raised an eyebrow. "I won't ask how, because I wouldn't understand anyway." she pushed off the tombstone and started walking farther into the graveyard. Harry followed, and Appoline explained her plan along the way to wherever it was they were going.

They spent what felt like forever just learning to navigate his mind, let along actually finding the core, or 'source' of it. When Appoline finally told him it was time to stop, it was well into the evening. And if he weren't so damn hungry, it would have been too late for supper.

Sebastian was already home, reading a newspaper at the kitchen table, sipping at some tea along with an anxious Fleur. "So, how did your day go?"

Harry sighed explosively as he sat down in one of the chairs. He was too tired to make anything, but his stomach was too angry at him to ignore. Absentlymindenly, he waved his hand at the counter, and an apple came flying at him. He managed to catch it before it smacked him in the face. He blinked, looked at the counter, and then at the apple, and then at the counter, and then at his hand. Magic. Huh. He was really tired. Either that or all that time in his magic had really connected him to it. He figured it was a bit of both. It was just so natural to do…

"I didn't know you were teaching him wandless magic, dear," Sebastian said.

"I am not."

Harry spent the next week working through his mind. The progress was slow and sometimes painful, mapping out his entire mind, as he had to make sure that he didn't miss a single spot. It didn't help that he was still not a natural at Occlumency. Sure, he could control his mind and stuff, but his method was so far from everyone else's no one had any idea on where to start. Harry was basically on his own

But he was slowly feeling that he was getting enough of a hold on his mind to be able to defend himself.

Soon after feeling that he had a good map of his mind Harry smiled at Appoline as he collapsed into one of the armchairs in the living room. "Thank you for your help I feel like I'm achieving something."

She smiled back at him, "You're quite welcome Harry"

Fleur was at a friends birthday party and Harry figured he could use the free time to practice.

After dinner, Harry excused himself and went up to his room for the rest of the night. Once he seated himself on his bed, he cast a tempus charm, noted the time, and then closed his eyes and let himself fall into his magic. He counted sixty seconds and returned to the real world. A tempus charm revealed that five minutes had actually passed. At least now he knew the approximate time difference. He didn't want to stay in that state for too long, because he had to sleep in about five hours.

So he let himself fall into his magic again, and just relaxed. Floated. Zenned out. He always felt mentally rested after he soaked himself in his magic for a while. It was like a drug. You didn't want to leave once you got there, but if you stayed for too long the real world came knocking, whether by a grumbling stomach or another person.

He let his magic carry him to his core, and from there he shot up through the empty space to reach the complex magical web, or matrix, that was his mind. He turned around just before entering it to see the magic flowing through his body. It was beautiful, really. It danced through his limbs and then returned to his core, like a solar prominence shooting off the surface of the sun, only to get pulled back into it.

Reluctantly, he returned to the real world. He cast tempus. It was already 9 pm. With a sigh, he lay back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.

"Our minds can be whatever we imagine them to be. My mind also has wards. I perceive them like a shield, or a wall, that surrounds my mind and protects it from attacks. Our minds are sort of like a chess board. We have the advantage of home ground, but if you are against an enemy who has stronger knights or bishops than you, or has a mind more attune to strategy than yours, that advantage is lost."

Green eyes squinted at him in thought. "So you're saying… I should make my mind like an impenetrable fortress."

Appoline nodded. "Except that it does not need to be a castle to be a fortress." Harry frowned. "Do you understand?"

Lips quirked in a small grin. "I think, maybe I do."

"Good." Appoline said, "Then let us continue."

"Legilimens."

Harry stared into her eyes and blinked when nothing happened. Appolines eyebrows furrowed. "There is nothing there. The last time that I went into your mind, you were nearly comatose."

Harry grimaced at the bad memories but none the less grinned. "See? I did it."

Appoline's lip twitched. "Congratulations Harry. I think you and Fleur are now well proficient in Occmulcy now."

Well, he had finally got Occmulcy down after nearly six weeks of grueling training.

It was a nice feeling though at his progress.

**Author Note **Well Harry and Fleur now know Occumulcy.


	55. Chapter 54

Chapter 54

September 1993

Hogwarts

"Shall we find a compartment?" said Harry as they finally got onto the train. Joe looked awkwardly at him

"Harry, have you forgotten? You're a perfect now aren't they supposed to meet in the perfect carriage at the beginning of the ride" He said.

Harry cursed as he remembered his bad luck.

During the Summer Harry had received a notice that Flitwick had made him perfect.

That had to be the worst possible news for him wanting to remain anonymous throughout his Hogwarts years.

The professor had also sent a letter saying that out of all of the students he was the best in their house to be the new perfect.

The language used in the letter was quite nice and despite the fact of the apprehension he felt about the role he accepted the offer.

But that memory sort of slipped out of his mind the past few weeks.

Now it was back with a vengeance though.

"Ah, I forgot. Sorry guys," he said, feeling bad for his absent-mindedness.

"Don't worry about it, I'll find us a compartment," Joe said, waving it away and heading to the back of the train with Catherine.

Along with the Perfect Position, Harry learned that Dementors would be stationed at the school soon to look for the escaped Peter Pettigrew.

He was well aware of how Peter had betrayed their family and hoped he was found soon.

Putting Dementors at Hogwarts was stupid though.

The carriage at the front of the train looked just like all the others only it had less compartments and each one was magically expanded into a decent-sized room. Seeing a bunch of students already in the first one, Harry entered and found a place along the edge of the room.

The prefects all made a large circle. Harry saw a number of students whom he knew by face but not by name. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to remember too many new names.

With a lurch, the train started moving. Harry looked out the window as the train pulled out of the magically concealed station.

"All right, I think that's everyone," said a voice from the other side of the room. The circle parted slightly, and two more students joined the ring, a boy and a girl. Harry recognized the boy instantly as Cedric Diggory while the girl was just vaguely familiar. "Welcome back for another year of perfect duties to the seventh-years, and welcome to our new prefects. Congratulations on earning your position." There was light applause for the sixth-years. "Now, to get things started, I'm Kevin Sterndale, Ravenclaw, and I have been appointed Head Boy. And this is—"

"Sarah Renshaw," said the girl beside him. She had a round face framed by curly black hair and brown eyes. "I'm from Hufflepuff, and I've been appointed to Head Girl."

"Now, to introduce the new prefects to the rest of you," said Roger, pulling out a roll of parchment. "From Gryffindor, Percy Weasley and Terry Strickland. From Hufflepuff, Cedric Diggory and Cyril Meakin. From Ravenclaw, Penelope Clearwater and Harry Potter. And finally from Slytherin, David Boorman and Alex Sykes. Again, welcome." Kevin was speaking in a very plain voice that suggested this was well rehearsed. Fortunately, his counterpart took over.

"New or not, I'll explain your duties and your powers as prefects," said Sarah. "First of all, prefects are meant to be role models and general enforcers of the school rules within the houses and castle. If you mistreat your authority then the position can be taken away from you. Your heads of house all retain the power to demote you at any time, so do your best not to break any rules. Also, Kevin and I can report prefects who are not doing their duties properly. If this happens too many times, you will be demoted." She softened a bit, the edge coming out of her voice. "Really, it's not a hard job, and many of the students look up to you not only for guidance and advice but sometimes for security and comfort. Anyone abusing that relationship will not last here."

She spoke those last four words very slowly. Harry blinked, somewhat taken aback by the steel in her voice.

"Anyway, here are the basic things you new prefects need to know before you go and do something stupid," she continued, now in a conversational tone. "Prefects are only allowed to dock points from their own house, however, you can assign single-day detentions with Filch when proper to a student from any house. If you abuse your power we will know, and you will be dealt with. sixth-year prefects are also required, as you know, to guide your new house's first-years to your house common room. Be sure to be very clear when telling them about parts of the castle so they don't get as lost as they might without your help on the first day. They will get it eventually, just try not to confuse them. Okay, Kevin, tell them about patrols."

"Right, I'll keep this brief. Prefects patrol the corridors at night after curfew to keep students from getting into mischief, as we all know that a good number of them like night time strolls. You will be doing them in pairs. Also, every night of the week one or two of the professors will be patrolling as well. Cooperate with them and don't cause trouble yourself.

"Now, last but not least, One of you will patrol a single carriage for two hours a piece. Keep the peace, and help anyone who's having a problem. If something really bad happens come to report to us here. The train patrol schedule is behind me on the wall, so check it out before you leave." He paused and looked around. "That's it if any of you have questions for me or Sarah just talk to us whenever."

Suddenly a packet was pressed into his hands.

"Harry, you're in carriage four right now," said Penny

"Already? What about you, when are you on?"

"I'm in carriage five right now as well," she said.

"Right then, I'll get moving. See you around." She gave him a little wave and moved off to talk to some of the other new prefects.

Looking around Harry saw someone he wanted to give a quick hello to. "Cedric, have a good summer?"

"Yeah, it was relaxing," he said with a nod. "Congrats on making perfect, Harry."

"Yeah thanks, I just wanted to say hi. See you later."

"Bye, Harry."

He quickly exited the room before anyone could approach him. He needed to get moving. Harry sighed as he walked into the next carriage of the train.

He kept going until he reached the carriage that he was supposed to be keeping an eye on for the next two hours. Brilliant, he'd only been on the job for seven seconds and it was everything he'd ever dreamed.

Damn boring. Honestly, what was Flitwick thinking?

He passed the carriage where his brother was sitting with Hermoine Granger.

After Ron's death, they had seemed to be getting closer

Good for Max and the best of luck for whatever he decided to do.

Harry's patrol was completely uneventful. A couple of students eyed him curiously as they passed by, and he directed a pair of first-year girls to the bathroom with a smile, but other than that nothing happened.

He made his way to the opposite end of the corridor every twenty minutes to change things up, but that was the most exercise he got. Eventually, a sixth-year Hufflepuff prefect came to take his place, and he started making his way to the second carriage.

It didn't take him long to find Joe and Catherine. They all looked up from their chess game as he slid the door open.

"Harry, there you are," said Catherine, looking relieved. "I was afraid something happened to you."

"You know I can take care of myself, Cath," he said

He sat down to talk with his friends and ended up taking a nap.

Hours later Harry found himself being shaken awake by Joe who was looking at him in amusement.

"Harry, we're nearly there. If you don't wake up you'll sleep through the feast."

"I'm up, I'm up," he said groggily, rubbing his eyes. "What a nap, how close are we?"

"Pretty close," said Catherine, who was pulling on her robe over her school uniform.

"You were really out of it, Harry," Joe said.

"Was I?" he asked, giving his prefect badge a rub after dressing himself.

"Yeah, the people next door started playing exploding snap and nearly blew a hole in the carriage," he said with a small chuckle. "You slept through the whole thing though."

It wasn't long before the train came to a stop. They piled out onto the platform,

"Let's get a carriage before they all fill up," said Catherine, leading the group off to where the horseless carriages were waiting.

The first years, Harry realized, were incredibly irritating. They seemed in awe of every little thing, even the non-magical details that Harry hadn't bothered with when he was eleven, like the floors. They all chattered away at each other, being obvious about their pointing at the portraits. A picture of a knight preened under the attention, while a mother with her child simply turned away.

"They're so annoying," Harry whispered to Penelope.

"I thought you and your year were, too," she whispered back replied calmly.

"What?" Harry asked, affronted.

Penny just grinned.

He was responsible for showing landmarks to the students as they walked to the common room.

"Now, if you make a left right down this hallway, you'll come to the library. The librarian is Madam Pince. She can be kind of scary, and she can hold a grudge, so always be really quiet and make sure to return your books on time. If you don't, she won't let you check any out when you really need them."

"Astronomy is held at midnight for you guys, and you'll be really tired the next day, so make sure you take a nap before class. Don't oversleep though, because Professor Sinistra really doesn't like it when you're tardy."

"Never give Snape any reason to take points off. Don't even breathe too loudly, because, on a bad day, that really gets on his nerves."

"Never, ever, ever taunt Peeves. He likes to do his best to get you in trouble, and he thinks it's funny to watch people get angry with him. The best thing to do is to remain calm."

By the time they had gotten into the common room, all of the first years seemed to look up to Harry.

Just Wonderful.

The potion they were brewing today the Draught of Living Dead was hard. Annoyingly so, in fact. It had so many little exacting steps that there was a fairly good chance something would go wrong. But that changed nothing. Just another day of brewing.

After nearly an hour Harry let out a long breath, dropping into his seat. He was a little over halfway done, marked by the ten minute simmering period the potion had to undergo before he could continue.

Looking around at the class, he saw that things were going as they usually did in their section. A number of his classmates were at the same step in the potion but at least half of the class was looking at their potion grimly for one reason or another.

Well over half the potions in the class were likely near explosive points and he still had another half an hour to go before his own potion would be done. Then there would be the shorter lecture that usually followed the brewing part of the double period. However calming he normally found potion making to be, there was no denying Harry just really wanted this class to be over.

They were now participating in sixth year Apparation lessons with the Ministry Instructor Colin Moynihan.

'The important things to remember when Apparating are the three Ds!' said Moynihan. 'Destination, Determination, Deliberation!

'There is also a risk of Splinching though which occurs when the mind is insufficiently determined. You must concentrate continually upon your destination, and move, without haste, but with deliberation ... thus.'

'Step one: fix your mind firmly upon the desired destination,' said Moynihan. 'In this case, I would like you to concentrate on the other side of this room right now.'

Everybody hastily did as they were told. Harry gazed at the patch of dusty floor maby thirty feet away and tried hard to think of nothing else except that spot.

'Step two,' said Moynihan, 'focus your determination to occupy the visualized space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!'

'Step three,' called Moynihan, 'and only when I give the command ... turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation! On my command, now ... one –– two '– THREE!'

Harry spun on the spot and vanished in a swirl of robes, reappearing at the back of the Hall.

He blinked that he had actually gotten it right on the first time and had not gotten a limp torn off on the first day.

Appoline had told him that with control over his mind he could not more easily visualize where he wanted to go and get there.

The instructor seemed pleased.

"Well done Mr. Potter" Moynihan cried out "You did it on the first try see class".

A lot of Harry's fellow students who were sprawled out on the ground after having failed at doing anything we're looking at him jealously.

"Can you come over here?"Moynihan asked.

Harry groaned.

Being the first in this instance apparently made the teacher interested in him as the class example.

How right he was.

And how long the next hours would be.

**Author Note **So basically Harry is a perfect and can apparate now

And Flitwick gave Harry the position because he is a diligent and good student not because of any Potter favoritism.

There was not a Dementor Attack on the train but I will let you know that it will occur later on this year.


	56. Chapter 55

Chapter 55

September 3rd, 1993

Hogwarts

As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall.

'Nothing to worry about,' said Professor Lupin calmly, as a few people jumped backwards in alarm. 'There's a Boggart in there.'

'Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces,' explained Professor Lupin. 'Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks – I once met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the Headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my classes some practice.

'So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?'

Joe raised his hand.

'It's a shape-shifter,' he said. 'It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most.'

"Exactly' said Professor Lupin 'So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.

'This means,' said Professor Lupin 'that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?'

Suprised that Uncle Remus would call on him he thought up an answer "'because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?'

'Precisely,' said Professor Lupin 'It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake – tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening.

'The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing.

'We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please ... riddikulus!'

'Riddikulus!' said the class together.

'Good,' said Professor Lupin. 'Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough you have to be able to repeal one in real life".

He then had them all line up to face the Boggart.

The first student was the Hufflepuff Devin Boyer

Professor Lupin sent a ribbon of sparks hurtling towards the closet. The was a loud - pop! - and the wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Boggart Severus Snape stepped out, and slowly stalked towards Devin.

That was curious to see.

It turns out a good portion of the classes Boggarts were something involving Snape.

Harry was not sure what to think about that.

They where sixteen for Merlin's sake and would be out in the world in two years.

Yet they were still worried about their Potions Professor.

After the last Snape Boggart had been repealed in a spectacular fashion. Professor Lupin, still recovering from his own hysterical episode, said, "Now I want all of you to think of what fears you most and then what would make that amusing to you."

The room went quiet, despite the fact that the boggart was still blundering around disorientated, trying to figure out whom to scare first.

Harry closed shut his eyes and thought - what is he was the most afraid of?

He had an idea but did not want to think too much about that.

"Everyone ready? Good, Kathryn Leukart, forward please!"

Harry gulped. This could easily go very bad.

The whole class burst into wild applause as Bruce's bloodied mummy began doing the moonwalk.

And then soon afterward it was Harry's turn.

He stepped up to the Bogart and it began to switch.

And his worst fear became real.

The Boggart turned into a bloody figure that Harry recognized all too well as his girlfriend.

He felt himself start to shake.

Professor Lupin looking quite alarmed at the bloody corpse quickly moved to dispell the Bogart back into the chest.

He looked shocked as he looked at Harry and the rest of the class.

"Class Dismissed" He whispered "Harry please stay behind"

The students left the class subdued but Harry could hear them whispering about him and his vision.

"Is everything ok?" Remus asked softly "Who was that woman".

Harry stiffened "I would rather not say" He managed to vocalize.

Remus had been one of the family members that had taken measures to talk to him throughout the years and give gifts.

So Harry felt that he should at least give something descriptive to a family member he actually liked.

"I'm fine Uncle," Harry said, "Its just a nightmare I have been having recently".

He hated lying to Remus but they were not ready yet for Fleur and him to be revealed as a couple.

The Professor nodded "Ok get some rest then".

"Thank you," Harry said as he left, "I think I will do just that".

"And Harry," Remus said from behind him "You don't need to do the homework for Friday and" He took a breath "My office is here if you ever need to talk".

"Thank you," Harry said with genuine warmth as he left for the Ravenclaw Common Room.

After having left Defense Against the Dark Arts he had gone and called Fleur.

They had talked for about an hour about not anything really major and Harry did not want to share what had happened in class today

But hearing her voice was such a relief.

Later on, when Harry had mentally gotten into a better state he went into the Chamber of Secrets to deal with another project he had.

Since seeing the Dementors the other day he had become concerned about finding a way to repel the Dementors if the worst happened and they came into the premises.

He hoped that would not happen but he wanted to be safe.

So he found a book in the Chamber over a spell that was meant to repeal the beasts.

It would not hurt to read and learn it just in case.

_The Patronus charm is a highly advanced charm using happy memories to combat Dementors and, Lethifolds._

_The incantation used to conjure a Patronus is Expecto Patronum. The word Patronus itself is Latin and means 'guardian', which it essentially is, the idea is that it forms a protective shield between yourself and the Dementor_

_It is evident from old woodcuts and scrolls that the Patronus Charm has been used since ancient times. Therefore, it is unknown who created it, or when it was first invented. The charm also has a long association with those fighting for lofty or noble causes _

_According to legend one of the most famous Patronuses of all time was a lowly mouse, which belonged to a young wizard called Illyius. Illyius cast the Patronus Charm when his village was being attacked by the Dark wizard Raczidian and his army of Dementors. Despite the mouse's diminutive size, it shone with a brilliant light, bringing the Dementors to a halt as it nimbly moved through the ranks of fleeing villagers. Enraged, Raczidian decided to enter the fray himself and tried to summon a Patronus to ward off Illyius's mouse. However, he failed to remember that only the pure of heart can produce a Patronus, and thus for the first time in history, it was revealed what happens when a competent, but unworthy wizard or witch attempts the spell. Maggots shot out of Raczidian's wand and quickly devoured him as they engulfed his entire body. The villagers hailed Illyius as a hero._

_The Patronus represents that which is hidden, unknown but necessary within the personality. When a human confronted with inhuman evil, such as the Dementor, they must draw upon resources he or she may never have needed, and the Patronus is the awakened secret self that lies dormant until needed, but which must now be brought to light. Patronuses take forms that their casters might not expect, for which they have never felt a particular affinity, or (in rare cases) even recognize. Every Patronus is as unique as its creator and even identical twins have been known to produce very different Patronuses._

_The unusual witches and wizards who produce a Patronus that takes the form of their favorite animal is an indicator of obsession or eccentricity. For here is a wizard who may not be able to hide their essential self in common life, who may, indeed, parade tendencies that others might prefer to conceal. Whatever the form of your Patronus, you would be well-advised to show respect, and occasionally caution, towards a witch or wizard who produces the Patronus of their choice._

_The shape your Patronus will take depends on many different things. Everybody is different, and a multitude of factors including your personality, temperament, memory and past experiences will affect it._

_You need to remember that this is very highly advanced magic; you mustn't be surprised if it doesn't come the first time. The chances are that your thought just wasn't happy enough if this is the case. _

Harry racked his brain for the best memory of Fleur that he could find. He caught flashes of their childhood together, there were so many great memories he could have used from that time. However, he then remembered the joy he had felt when they had become a couple and what they had done after that. Yes, that memory would do nicely.

He closed his eyes for a second, raised his wand, and cried, "Expecto Patronum!" It came at once, with a silver mass erupting from the wand and flew into the air. It was dazzlingly bright and shone so luminously that Harry raised his hands in front of his face, allowing for his eyes to adjust to the sparkling silver.

It was a Raven.

How interesting.

He was a bit confused on why his Patronus would be a Raven and not a Stag or Doe like his parents but his best guess was that it was somehow related to Fleur being a Veela that was at the heart of it an avian creature.

That was still a guess though.

No Matter why his Patronus was a Raven it was still nice to know that his memories were strong enough to create a pretty powerful Patronus.

And casting a Patronus was challenging work it seems.

Who would have guessed?

**Author Note** I have been seeing a lot of people saying that I need a beta

Well, I'm open to suggestions if any of you know someone that can help.

I'm not well aware of the other people on here and who would do good as a beta

If any of you have suggestions for good betas or if you want to contact me to help that would be much appreciated.

And yes Harry got the Patronus down a lot faster this time but he also had a lot happier memories to work from


	57. Chapter 56

Chapter 56

November 7th, 1993

Hogwarts

' Catherine, will you hurry up? The match's about to start!' Harry called up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

'I'm coming!' A second later, Catherine appeared at the top of the stairs, a warm black cloak around her shoulders. Joe was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet impatiently.

'Come on!' He glanced at his watch; it was five minutes to eleven.

They hurried out of the common room, through the empty Great Hall and out towards the Quidditch pitch. Even though it was pouring with rain, the whole school had turned out as usual to watch the first match of the season, Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff.

These past two months had been interesting.

Trying his best to put the images from Remus class behind him Harry had focused more on his studies and practicing the Patronus Charm as well as several other fields of magic.

During the Winter Holidays this year he wanted to learn how to perform legilimency so that he knew the other side of the mental spectrum.

Joe, Harry, and Catherine who was holding her cloak up over her head squeezed past crowds of seated spectators to find two empty seats in the Ravenclaw part of the stands. Barely had they settled in as comfortably as they could in the bucketing rain and Harry raised a pair of binoculars to his eyes than Cedric Diggory, the Hufflepuff captain, shook hands with Wood and James called out, 'Mount your brooms!' A second later, the fourteen Quidditch players had kicked off from the ground as the whistle sounded.

'Where's Max?' Joe asked, squinting through the heavy rain.

Harry shook his head. He wasn't having much better luck, even through the binoculars, as they were already covered in large drops of rain. Suddenly remembering a spell to help with these sorts of events he pulled his wand out from under his cloak, tapped the sodden binoculars, and said 'Impervius!'

He then resumed looking around the Quidditch pitch through his now waterproof binoculars,

Harry was able to locate Max and Cedric, who seemed to be having a real job just looking for the Snitch through their rain-spattered glasses. Gryffindor scored twice, but Harry could barely hear Lee Jordan''s commentary over the roaring winds, cheering crowds and distant rumbles of thunder, which were growing more and more frequent.

Why on earth was there a game in this weather?

And he was really glad that he was not on the pitch right now.

They watched as a Bludger hit by one of the Hufflepuff Beaters soared towards Max, nearly unseating him. He didn't swerve out of the way until the last minute, giving a possible indication that he hadn't even seen it coming until it almost broke his nose. Gryffindor scored twice more, bringing the score up to forty-zero, but neither Diggory or Max had even come close to catching the Snitch and ending the game.

The sky grew darker and darker. Harry turned his attention to the other players and reflected that he himself, though cold and getting wetter by the minute, was not nearly as rain-soaked as the players flying in the face of an oncoming storm.

Hufflepuff scored once, causing the red-and-gold-clad supporters in the stands to groan and boo the Hufflepuffs. However, when Alicia Spinnet scraped a goal and Katie Bell another, they cheered, almost beside themselves with glee. Gryffindor was fifty points ahead; if Max caught the Snitch now, they would secure a two-hundred-point win.

Through her binoculars, Harry saw Wood signal to James for time out just after a flash of lightning lit up the whole pitch. The Gryffindor players flew over to Wood, who was crouched under a large umbrella at the edge of the stands.

Harry could also see Heromine Granger get up from her seat and head over to the team.

They talked a bit and Heromine cast an unrecognizable spell on his goggles before she headed back to her seat.

Jame's whistle sounded again, giving the signal to commence the game

Joe was squinting up at Max who had stopped, motionless, in mid-air, staring at something at the top of the stands. 'What's he looking at? You'd think if it were the Snitch, he'd –'

'Where?' Harry located his brother, but before he could follow his eyes to identify what he was looking at, his hands slipped and his broom plunged several feet. Next moment, the air, impossible though it seemed, grew even colder, caused by –

'Look!' Catherine cried, pointing across the stands. 'Dementors …'

She wasn't the only one who had noticed. All over the stands, people were pointing to about a hundred Dementors, who had left their posts at the entrances to the castle grounds and were now swarming onto the pitch.

'Hope your brother catches the Snitch soon,' grumbled Joe, who barely took his eyes off the game to glance down at the Dementors. 'I'm freezing …' He watched Max, flat against his broomstick, speed towards a tiny, shimmering ball –

'Oh, my –' gasped Catherine. Max had looked down. As they watched, transfixed, Max froze, staring downwards at the Dementors. Next moment, he seemed to be going into a sort of fit: his body was shaking so uncontrollably that the whole broom was vibrating. Then his hands slipped – he toppled off the side, plummeting down – down – down …

The Scream of Lilly Potter pierced the air, along with several others; Dumbledore had left his seat and was hurrying onto the pitch; he pointed his wand at Max, slowing his descent … Then he waved his wand at the Dementors, livid with rage, an enormous silver phoenix burst out from Dumbledores wand, chasing the Dementors away, flapping its shimmering wings in the rain …

There were cheers from the Hufflepuffs' side of the stands and Harry felt anger and indignation: how dare they cheer when his brother was – was surely … But a second later, James's whistle had blown, and the reason for the cheers became obvious; Cedric Diggory had caught the Snitch. The match was over – Hufflepuff had won.

But Diggory, curiously enough, didn't seem in any mood to celebrate. He looked down, the Snitch clutched in his hand and paled as he saw Max lying on the ground, unconscious, his Firebolt blowing ominously away in the direction of the Whomping Willow. They heard Diggory as he landed in front of James, trying to coax a re-match …

'C' mon,' said Joe, who was paper-white and felt sick. He stood up.

Harry had already abandoned his seat; not bothering to shield his face from the rain, he dashed past rows and rows of occupied seats, Joe and Catherine coming close behind him. They reached the pitch just as Dumbledore, who was paler and yet angrier than Harry had ever seen him, conjured a stretcher out of mid-air and levitated Max onto it and back to the castle, Hermione, Lilly, James, and Remus and Sirius along with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team hurrying along in his wake.

Harry felt cold and not just because of the Dementors.

While it was true he did not have the best relations with his family it would be horrible if something were to happen to kill his brother.

He wished no harm to any of his family.

Looking up he saw the remains of the Dementors that had been sent away.

Why had they come on this day if they were working for the Ministry to catch Pettigrew?

And if they could come into a Quittich Game could they come at any other time.

He now felt extremely happy that he had learned the Patronus Charm.

And maybe just for safety, it would be a good idea to teach some things to his friends in case something happened.

He would definitely make sure Fleur knew the Patronus.

It would tear him apart if something was to happen to her.


	58. Chapter 57

Chapter 57

December 20th, 1993

Aman Le Melezin

"Legilimens"

Harry felt Fleur try and get past his new mental defenses and check that they could handle a relatively normal mental penetration.

He was relieved than when he was able to form a strong enough defense to kick Fleur out of his mind.

After a bit of time of practicing today, they had decided to call it a break and so that their heads did not end up hurting as much by the end of the day.

They had spent a bit of time these past few days working on Legilimency.

Appoline had taught them Occlumency but now they wanted to learn the opposite of that Legilimency so that in any event they could not only defend themselves but go on the attack.

So they had tried performing the Legilimens spell on each other and seeing if they could navigate the others mental shields.

And so far the results were quite promising with defending against the verbal spell itself.

Performing Legilimency non verbally had been a lot more difficult but they had gotten somewhat of a hold on it.

It was harder to defend against it as well but they were making strides.

Fleur was really a great motivator to improve.

Unfortunately, his girlfriend's parents were busy at the moment and could not help them train this time.

Sebastian as President was getting ready for the Independence Day Ball.

Wich was to put it simply a grand ball to celebrate the two hundredth Aniversary of the Overthrow of the French Monarchy.

It was a key moment in French history that removed the influence of the Noble Families of France and caused them to be less significant than in England.

Delcour was still a noble family although not as powerful as it would be in England the family had produced twenty-four senators.

Sebastian was the first Delcour to become President though.

And he would probably be the only one for quite some time.

While Harry had been making plans to join the French Government after Hogwarts was over he did not want to rise high in the ranks.

He had seen the time commitment that Sebastains job took and he would prefer to have time to devote to other pursuits.

Looking sideways at Fleur when he thought that.

But anyhow the Ball was an important event that as Fleur boyfriend he was expected to attend.

They had made a decision to reveal their relationship to the press.

On their way to the event, Sebastian would be talking to the press pool and he would explain everything for them.

This event was a very important moment in Sebastains Presidency though so they had to be at the best they could be.

Appoline had suggested that they practice their dancing again to make sure they were ready.

And after taking a short break after their Mental practice that is just what they worked on.

As Harry looked down at his girlfriend pressed up against him he felt serenity.

He could not believe that he had reached this point in life.

A decade ago he was just the unknown brother of the Boy Who Lived.

Now he was dating the daughter of the French President someone whom he loved deeply was eternally grateful that he was with.

He had no idea what any of the future held but as he looked down at his girlfriend one thought passed through his mind.

"I have a feeling the future is going to be just fine"

LATER

It was time.

Fleur grasped Harry's hand and they walked into the corridor to join the others.

Everyone would be leaving the hotel they were staying at before heading by motorcade to the ballroom Montparnasse.

Fleur looked gorgeous in her black cashmere gown and matching high heels.

Harry wore a black suit along with a vest and tie.

Both of their outfits were uncomfortable but they would put up with it due to the importance of the Ball and Dinner to Sebastian and his Administration.

This was also set to be a Formal State Dinner with the leaders of Spain. Germany, Italy, Russia, and Poland all attending the event.

He felt nervous about all of the press that would be in attendance.

If their relationship was revealed it could mean a lot of interesting questions in the new year.

But it was unknown how much the British Press would communicate with their French Counterparts.

Ever since Sebastian had assumed the Presidency relations with the British Fudge had turned abysmal.

Fudge had declined to come to the Ball.

So Harry was not sure about how this all would work out.

Feeling a tug from Fleur Harry realized they were starting to filter out.

He noticed that a lot of people were wearing black especially the wives and widows.

This day also would hold another significant anniversary.

The Fifteenth Commemoration of the Independence Day attacks.

In December of 1978 Death Eaters had launched their largest attack of the war so far striking dozens of locations all across France.

They had been driven off but the cost was horrendous.

Over a thousand people had been killed or seriously injured in the attacks.

Appolines Brother in law and Fleurs uncle had been one of the first killed when the Death Eaters stormed Beaubatonx where he had been working as a new professor.

It was crazy the level of damage France had suffered especially Beaubatonx that took a good part of a year to repair.

Even now for everyone especially those who had fought in the war it was a touchy subject.

Sebastian had also then decided to turn tonight into a remembrance ceremony.

They then left the hotel and walked down the steps followed by the crowd of French Senators, Cabinet Members, and other officials.

Stopping near the bottom of the stairs Harry helped Fleur down where they meet Sebastian who was currently talking to an assembled press pool.

They walked next to Appoline.

Harry slipped his arm around Fleurs waist.

Looking to his side he saw Sebastian standing at his Presidental Podium flanked by Senators and a few Cabinet officials as he spoke into the microphones and took a few questions from the press.

The questions where mostly mundane so Harry tuned the dialogue out until a question caught his ear.

A reporter was looking at Harry and Fleur as he spoke to Sebastian.

"Moisur President," He said, "Is this boy currently dating your daughter or is this just a dinner date situation".

Sebastian spoke for them.

"Yes Mr. Potter is currently dating my daughter and I fully approve" Looking down at his watch "All right thank you, folks, but we have to catch our ride".

As Sebastian stepped away from the Podium Harry felt nervous at all of the cameras that where flashing especially at them.

Fleur seemed nervous too if her body was anything to go by.

None the less they walked and joined the crowd of people who were traveling to the Presidential motorcade.

They meet Isaac who was currently with one of Appolines friends for the dance tonight.

He would be making sure they knew where they were going while the Delcour Parents went ahead to great the foreign dignitaries and open the dance.

It was hard to hear much over the chatter though.

Fleur held onto him as the walked along the causeway towards the parking lot.

People were getting into limos before heading downtown.

Harry had been initially surprised that Magical France used cars.

Sebastian had told him that in rare times they had specially rigged limos that would be used in official state visits.

Along with the fact that Magical France was not as technologically backward as some other societies like Magical England.

All of the vehicles in the French Arsenal would be brought out for tonight.

Government Officials and Foreign Staff had been meeting in the Aman Le Melezin Hotel for days now having dozens of meetings and conferences.

And now it was time for the biggest dance Harry had ever been to and probably the most important as well.

Once their group reached the assembled vehicles Harry helped Fleur into the limousine.

They had to now ride the forty miles to the ballroom.

As they got in he quickly realized how comfy their accommodations where.

The other people in their limousine were Isaac, Senator Frossard and Education Minister Vidal along with their dates.

"You guys ready for tonight," Isaac asked them.

They both nodded to involved in their own thoughts and each others presence to say much.

Soon the convoy started to move.

After about twenty or thirty minutes of driving through the streets of Paris, they arrived in front of the ballroom.

This would be the first time he had ever been on a red carpet.

The first cars in the front of the group let their people out.

And soon their car arrived.

Senator Frossard and Minister Vidal stepped out with their wives followed by Issac.

"Make sure you two stay behind me," Isaac told them before stepping out and helping his date out.

Harry gulped and stepped out of the car.

He held out his hand which was taken by a gracious Fleur.

Linking arms with his girlfriend they walked carefully due to Fleurs heels until they reached the entrance to the building.

The Press on the sides of the events was annoying but did not particularly bother Harry.

If he ever wanted to get into a career in politics later on in life he would have to get used to them.

He tentatively waved to some of the reporters

Fleur seemed to have an adverse reaction to the crowd though if her tightening grip was anything to go by.

Soon they were in the building though.

Instead of worrying about the people though they followed Isaac to their designated table.

A lot of the Politicians and Dignitaries where mingling and chatting as they sat down at their respective tables.

Soon after a while of talking, Sebastian stepped up to the podium.

"Welcome everyone," He said "Thank you for being here today"

Sebastian spoke for maybe another twenty minutes or so basically giving a brief history of France without being under a Royal Monarchy and toasting for another two hundred years of European Cooperation as well as a remembrance to those who had died in the war.

But soon he ended his speech and invited everyone to eat before the dancing began

Three Hours Later

After everyone had finished eating the tables were moved to the side to form a large dance floor.

Sebastian and Appoline led with the opening dance.

And then the French and Foreigners began to mingle on the floor.

All around Harry saw Ministers, Senators, Ambassadors, Foreign Leaders and important people from all around Europe start to dance with their partners along with their partners.

So many people from so many different places.

By Merlin, this must have been a logistical nightmare to pull off.

He was then pulled out of his musings by Fleur.

She was looking at him with mirth in her eyes "Yes there is a lot of important people here but I hope you don't forget the most important one, dear".

"Of course Fleur I won't forget you" He smiled pulling his attention back to his girlfriend.

"Good," She said, "You're forgetting one big thing though".

"What," He asked.

She took his hands and placed them around her hips before she placed her own on his shoulders.

"The fact that we are supposed to be dancing here silly" She giggled.

Blushing at his shortsightedness he started to move around the floor.

"Much better," Fleur said sighing as she relaxed against her boyfriend.

And the night continued.

**Author Note** For later on during the Wizarding War

I intend for Battles in my story to be huge and quite bloody.

In JK Rowling's version of the Battle of Hogwarts their where only about a hundred or so Death Eaters involved.

For me, there will be thousands of people involved along with probably hundreds of casualties

I want this upcoming war to be like an actual war with large forces battling it out and lots and lots of explosions...

If your into reading about that sort of stuff I think you will be very pleased.

I have much planned for the future.

And besides, the larger battles are better to write in my opinion.

Cheers


	59. Chapter 58

**Warning **Lemon Chapter

Do not read this if you are underage

You have been warned.

Chapter 58

December 21st 1993

Delcour Manor

Fleur and Harry flooed back into Delcour Manor early in the morning.

Last night or this morning whatever you wanted to call it was epic, to put it bluntly.

After the dancing had ended the drinks had been brought out in mass.

Even for the top positions they had a bit of fun and drank a bit,

And thus Fleur and Harry had their first taste of alcohol.

Slightly intoxicated and with Fleur feeling tired Harry had talked with Appoline and she had got them a fireplace where they could go home in.

The adults would be at the party for quite some more time.

As they came in Fleur realized something the night of dancing and partying had caused in her.

She was bloody horny and from the looks of it, Harry was feeling something of the same thing.

So that's what they ended up doing once they reached the bed.

Fleur's wanting for Harry grew with each passing second. Finally, it reached a point where she simply couldn't take it anymore and had to have him inside of her.

Fleur rolled Harry over so that she was straddling his stomach. She reached up and quickly unbuttoned her shirt to show that she wasn't wearing a bra and her ample chest bounced around to prove it. Harry leaned up and quickly took a nipple into his mouth. He sucked on the tiny bud gently while nibbling on it at the same time. Harry smirked around the nipple as Fleur moaned loudly

Fleur's fingers curled through Harry's hair as he moved his head to her other nipple. Harry brought his hand to the breast he was just sucking on and kneaded it gently

Harry, having had enough foreplay, rolled them both over. Harry waved his wand and both his and Fleur's clothes vanished.

Fleur wasted no time in reaching down and grasping his pole. She began stroking the firm rod while her tongue continued to duel against his. His hands gripped her bum and kneaded her tender flesh

"I'm so horny right now," Fleur said as she gasped."I think I have another way that I would like to try for us to get satisfied though,"

"Oh, and how is that?" Harry asked. He drifted his eyes down playfully to her bum making Fleur's eyes widen.

She flustered, "Well, maybe we could try there." She finished with a blush on her face and Harry had to smirk.

Harry put his wand next to Fleur's anus and whispered a spell. The sudden feeling of stretching and cleaning made Fleur's mind go on overload.

"What was that?" Fleur asked.

"That feeling was a spell from a sex magic book I found that would stretch, clean and lube you all in one go.," Harry said as he put the tip of his cock against her asshole.

Thank Merlin for the Chamber of Secrets.

"I suppose we are really doing this then?" Fleur asked, she already felt full from Harry's cock and she knew that it was barely in.

"Yup," Harry said as he slapped her ass.

Fleur blushed "Be gentle then."

"Of course, Fleur," Harry said, actually sounding insulted. "I may be rough on you from time to time but that's only because you like it. I would never hurt you."

Harry meanwhile finally had half of his cock in Fleur's ass so he slowly drew back and forth until she loosened up even more. It took another five minutes or so before he was buried completely in Fleur's perfect ass.

The patch of pubic hair above her clit pressed against his bare groin and Fleur ground her flesh against his. He felt her inner muscles rippling as they adjusted to being filled

"Oh merde," Fleur whimpered out as she was stretched by her lover

"Damn it's so tight and hot," Harry said as he closed his eyes in pleasure."Do you hurt"

"No," Fleur said. "I just feel really, really full."

"Good," Harry told her before drawing back until just the tip was in her and pushing back in. He smirked at the deep moan he was rewarded with.

"bloody hell," Harry whispered as he felt Fleur's snatch grip his length.

"Do you feel that dear? Do you feel me reaching deep in your bottom core and massaging your innards? My tool is exploring every bit of you and you love it, don't you," Harry coaxed in a husky tone right into Fleur's ear.

"Harder Harry," Fleur panted out

Fleur's body was filled with energy. She had never felt so alive. It was like the perfect example of manhood pumping in and out of her snatch. She gave herself over to the experience fully. Her boyfriend buried between her thighs began pushing his groin upwards, driving his length harder and further into her stretched sex. She felt her clit being rubbed against every time she sank fully down on her partner's tool.

"Oh god," Harry grunted out, finally reaching the end of his rope after fifteen minutes of pounding Fleur's tight teen ass. He came with a loud grunt, his cum washing all over the inside of Fleur's rectum.

His hard thrust as he came pushed Fleur over the edge and she too came.

"Arry…oh 'arry," Fleur moaned in such a throaty voice it sent shivers down Harry's spine straight to his balls when combined with the allure the veela portion of her physiology granted her.

Somehow after a few seconds, she could keep going,

Harry lifted his mate by her bum so that she could wrap both legs around his waist. He drew the young woman's hips up using his hand on her derriere and felt her channel drag along his length before pushing her lower half back down until her thighs and rear slapped against his legs and her pelvis met his pubic area. Fleur gasped and cursed. He repeated this action again and again. Fleur's eyes were bright pools of lust as she was impaled over and over on his dick. The feeling of her anal walls sliding against his cock flesh was without a doubt one of the best sensations of his life. The part-veela squeezed her inner muscles instinctually and this added to her wizard's enjoyment.

"Damn," Harry breathed out as the pleasure coursed through his body as Fleur's enjoyment with what they were doing being shown by her increase in movements. Harry cupped her bouncing breasts in his hands.

. The soft flesh slid against his fingers as he pinched and circled her nipples lightly. while he brought his mouth to her ear. Fleur shivered as he began to nibble on the shell of her ear before continuing to slide into her opening. After massaging her breasts for several dozen strokes he slid his hands further down Fleur's body. The taut flesh of her sides and abdomen gave way to the flare of her hips. Then his left hand changed directions and delved between her thighs where several of his fingers began slowly rubbing the flesh surrounding her clit as well as brushing the nub.

Harrys gentle rubbing actually felt good and excited Fleur. He didn't try to go any further on that front though. She felt his mouth hot against her neck, his tongue and lips were demanding of her flesh and devouring her skin. The goodness was building in her belly towards a whopper of a climax and Fleur eagerly anticipated it.

His other hand switched from rubbing the entrance to her other hole to pushing a digit inside. The combined stimuli of his finger and tool caused Fleur's body to go into convulsions. Fleur let out a keening sound as she was swept away in the ecstasy of her orgasm.

A sigh escaped Fleur sometime later as she finally relaxed from the ultimate ecstasy.

"Oh shit," Harry groaned while pushing his prick fully into Fleur's butt and letting his weight fall onto her.

Fleur collapsed forward and her man rode her down. Fleur's rectal passage convulsed as the two connected lovers reached a mutual climax. Harry's balls tightened up and emptied their contents into the blonde part veela's bowels

Fleur took the cream in her colon with her pussy rapidly put out its own fluids as she literally sprayed the invisible barrier beneath her with her cunt cream

All Fleur knew now was pure pleasure and who was causing it. From that moment on Fleur became Harry' mind and soul.

Fleur then felt her lover lean down and turned her head. His mouth claimed hers in a kiss that sent vibrations of heat and desire from her lips down to her toes

Harry than layed next to Fleur, lazily kissing her neck. He rolled over taking Fleur with him so that she was on top of him before they drifted off to sleep.

A few days later Fleur cracked her neck and stretched. She reached over to her side, expecting to find the warm body of her boyfriend. Instead, she just found an empty area with the faintest hints of warmth.

She turned her head to confirm what she felt. Yup, he was gone. But she didn't really care at the moment. If she had the bed all to herself, she could catch a few minutes of sleep.

But the distant sound of clanging and sizzling kept her from returning to the warm embrace of sleep. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she stood and made her way to the door that would lead her to the kitchen, the sound becoming louder with every step.

"Bloody- fuck!" Harry's voice quickly cut through the other sounds. This piqued the Fleur's interest.

Rounding the corner, she found Harry standing at the stove, trying to fry eggs. Said eggs were a blackened, shriveled mess.

"'Arry," Fleur flicked her wand, banishing the black mess into the trash bin. "What are you doing?"

"Oh Fleur." He turned to face her. "Oh you know, making breakfast." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Why?" Fleur glanced over to the counter, where a mess of ingredients sat. It looked like he had tried to make pancakes. "You know either I or Mama always make breakfast."

"Exactly." He shrugged. "Since you make it all the time and Appoline is still with Sebastian in Germany, I figured I should give you a break and make breakfast for once. It sorta didn't work though." Harry looked down at his feet shamefully.

"You don't say?" Fleur leaned on the kitchen door frame. "It's okay 'arry, stop looking so mopey. You just aren't a very good cook." She grinned.

"Hey!" He looked up with an indignant expression.

"Awww 'arry," She quickly walked over and embraced him. "As I said, it's okay." She looked him in the eyes then to the counter behind him. "Now let's see if we can't salvage some of zose pancakes."

Her Boyfriend really did not know anything about cooking.

But by Merlin that is why she was there.

To prevent himself from accidentally poisoning himself.

**Author Note** Well what do you know I finally reached one hundred thousand words.

And yes I know I'm being visual and probably for a few a bit too descriptive

Also i really appreciate all of the reviews you all leave it is a pleasure hearing from all of you

Something that i have also been seeing a lot of people commenting on and i would like to talk about.

Im not really sure on what to do about Harry and his family right now

When i started this story to be honest i never intended for Harry and his family to be a major part of this story this was primarily a Fleur story

So im going to be honest in saying that i have absolutely no idea on what to write for a Harry/Family Interaction scene


	60. Chapter 59

Chapter 59

June 1st, 1994

Hogwarts

Harry walked calmly along the lakeside hands in pockets

He was deep in thought.

In just a few days they would be leaving for the Summer Holidays.

And then he would have one year of school left.

It was surprising how fast the past six years had flown by.

In just another twelve months he will have graduated along with Fleur.

And then that brought up something that he would soon have to work out.

After school was over they would need jobs to do if they were to live on their own after moving out of their parent's house.

Fleur had indicated to everyone that she was interested in living in her own house after school.

And she had indicated to him in several not so subtle hints that she would love it if he joined her after school.

He had spent much time over the past few months thinking about that.

Personally, he did not feel much reason to stay in England after school.

The Potters seemed to be having their perfect little life without him and good for them.

His friends from Hogwarts had also indicated that they would be wanting to move after school.

Joe was interested in animals and was thinking of moving to Romania to see if he could make it with the dragons.

He always had the best scores of them all at Care of Magical Creatures.

Catherine said that she was interested in going to a specialist alchemy school in America.

Something about wanting to learn under a teacher named Scamander or something along those lines.

They were good friends and he definitely wanted to keep in touch.

He, on the other hand, thought that a house in France with Fleur sounded like a good idea.

For years now Harry had been interested in a career in French Politics.

Much less corrupt than the British that is for sure.

And if he wanted to run for office in France he would need a house in the country.

He intended to renounce his English citizenship and get a full French one in any case.

Also, the idea of living in a house with Fleur was a bit of a foreign idea to him but not a bad one.

He had never truly had a house to call his own in between shuffling through various residencies.

It would be nice to have a place that he chose and that he worked on.

Along with Fleurs help of course.

The past year or so of their relationship had been just spectacular.

He did not think that he would have any problem sharing a house with his girlfriend.

So in response to her asking him on his opinion of various parts of France he calmly offered his ideas and told her that most of the locations would be wonderful to live in.

Despite Fleur not coming out and directly saying what she wanted we both knew what our conversation was over and what we were discussing.

But that was still in the future for now.

They still had another year of what Harry had heard would be some interesting events.

Sebastian and his cabinet had been quite busy planning several European Cooperation events in an attempt to smooth over ethnic tensions.

The first event would happen in August.

They had visited the 1990 Quittich World Cup held four years ago in Bristol.

The 1994 Cup from what Sebastian had told him would be much bigger.

Close to One Hundred Thousand Witches and Wizards from over one hundred nations around the world would be in attendance.

It would be a huge undertaking for the European Commission to set up.

Preparations on the Games had been going on for years.

And ever since the Independence Celebrations had wrapped up in December Sebastian had been roped in to help plan for the Games.

He had said the logistical issues where at least the same or even greater than the Independence planning.

But then again the planning was spread out amongst more than one nation this time.

They were scheduled to attend the Games in what would probably prove to be an interesting time.

The Second Event that would be happening this next year and that Sebastian would be more involved in is the Triwizard Tournament.

The basic idea as Harry knew it was that students from Hogwarts. Beaubatonx and Durmstrang would be coming to Hogwarts to compete in some sort of Tournament.

There would be three tasks that champions from the schools would have to succeed in.

Harry had no idea what those tasks would be or much more about the Tournament.

The more interesting thing that had learned was that Beaubatonx Students would be coming.

And that meant Fleur would be here.

Of course, that came with the caveat that the best students in Beaubatonx would be the ones attending.

Sebastian and Madame Maxime were friends though and that pretty much guaranteed that she would be chosen to go.

Also, it was a rule that all of those going to Hogwarts from the Foreign Schools would have to agree to sign up for the Tournament as a requisite.

Fleur seemed perfectly fine with competing if necessary although she confided in him that she wished they could just spend the whole year together.

Harry felt much of the same way.

He had no intention of entering in the Tournament though.

One Because he quite enjoyed the lack of notoriety he had gained in England.

The gossip of France had not passed on as much to England.

And the most important reason was the bloody death toll the Tournament had.

He felt sick about the possibility of Fleur taking part in a potentially deadly event.

Sebastian said they were working hard to improve safety and make sure no one died this time around.

He hoped that was true or else some bad things were going to be happening.

Off in the distance, he saw the carriage leave the front of Hogwarts with Former Professor Lupin in it.

That had been a mess.

A lot of people in Harry's family knew about Remus being a werewolf.

But unfortunately Snape the vindictive bastard had decided to leak to the press Lupins status.

And despite pretty much all of the teachers and students vouching for him, he had been forced to resign.

The public outcry from parents about a werewolf teaching their children had been too great.

And instead of arguing about it Lupin had taken the path of resigning his office.

It was a shame.

Harry personally liked Remus a lot and thought that he had learned a lot this year.

And so had others if Max's stag Patronus was anything to go by.

But unfortunately, public opinion won out in this instance.

Speaking of Public Opinion.

In terms of jobs after school, Sebastian had formally offered him a job working in his Administration.

That would, of course, depend though on the public mood and whether or not they kept Sebastian and his party in power during the March Nineteen Ninety Five Elections.

A job in the Government would thus be contingent on the RPR holding the majority.

On the good side though the election still nine months away looked promising.

A guaranteed job after school would be a great thing to have.

And it would help him as he aspired for a Senate Run.

Fleur had indicated her wanting to go into medicine.

She had always been more of a healer instead of a fighter.

Thus she would be taking medical classes in Paris while he worked in the Senate.

But still, some facts were worrying.

Peter Pettigrew had not been found.

That could just be a common criminal but Harry felt it bode worse.

Pettigrew had betrayed them and almost led to the entire Potter Family being killed off.

He would not just hide out like an escaped felon.

Also, Harry had been having more bloody and confusing dreams over the past few weeks.

He was not sure what they ment or how to tell everyone else about them.

It was not his concern about how to be dealing with Pettigrew though so he did not try to worry himself with those thoughts.

The feeling still persisted though.

Maby a call to Fleur would help things out.

Even if it was just discussing what she had read in the magazines.

**Author Note** If people have one complaint from this series I guarantee it will be the Potter Family. and I'm actually fine with that.

As long as the rest of the story is entertaining and interesting to read though than I'm happy.

You guys need to understand that I never intended for this to be really big on the Potter Family.

I just added that part on to make this story unique.

This is and will remain to be first and foremost a Fleur/Harry story.

I hope you all understand that.

And to all of those who say I need a beta for this story.

I just say one thing.

Do you have any idea where to find one?


	61. Chapter 60

Chapter 60

August 18th, 1994

Delcour Manor

As Harry semi-groggily trudged through the grassy plain with his girlfriend Fleur Delcour, one part of him was focused on her hands and two parts of him were still asleep,

As their group of eight reached the peak of the hill, Harry felt what little sleepiness that had remained slip away, making room for a huge amount of excited anticipation. Harry completed the circle the rest of the group had made around something that was blocked from view via everyone else.

It was a table that would be used as their portkey for today.

Grabbing onto the sides they soon felt themselves getting sucked away.

This portkey seemed different than the others.

Almost everyone ended up on the ground even those who were well experienced in magical travel.

And due to the fact that he was right next to Fleur, they ended up tangled together once they landed.

Although neither of them really minded the closeness.

As the world came back to him, thankfully quite hastily, Harry realized that, while they where by far the worst case, neither had anyone else managed a graceful landing either.

Even Appoline and Sebastian had fallen on the ground.

By the time Harry finished analyzing the situation, they'd managed to reconvene with the rest of the group and start trekking towards a sea of different colored tents. That the huge majority of the tents were already pitched brought a smile to Harry's face.

'No matter how idiotic magical folk can be at times,' Harry thought happily, 'at least we've got the right idea about quidditch!'

By the time the group had made it to the tent they'd be sharing through the day and overnight, Harry was practically vibrating with excitement. More magicals had shown up to watch the Irish and Bulgarian teams battle it out than he'd even known existed, with the sheer volume of those gathered inspiring awe, to say nothing of the fantastic variety. He literally couldn't walk more than two feet without seeing some new and interesting kind of magical being. All of them shared at least a mostly humanoid base, with fangs or claws or tails or wings or scales or strange skin colors, or any combination of those traits and three dozen others, being all that told them apart from normal and magical humans. It was quite the spectacle in and of itself, not to mention the World Quidditch Game that'd be played in a few hours!

Next, to him, Fleur looked at him in amusement.

"You look like you have never seen people before Arry" She teased

He blushed before taking her hand.

Upon finally arriving, Harry held the tent flap open everyone else.

The interior of the deceptively plain looking tent was quite grand actually, in more than one sense of the word. Not only was the space impressive in its size; it magically contained, according to Appoline, three house quality bedrooms, a bathroom, and even a small kitchen

"Okay everybody, listen up!" Appoline started, gathering all attention. "It's only," he took a quick peek at his watch, "eight o' clock, and the game doesn't start till ten. Why don't the rest of you go and entertain yourselves for a little while? You're free to explore a little, but don't go outside of shouting distance from here. I'll holler when breakfast is ready."

Excited smiles broke out on the faces of everyone assembled.

Soon, however, Gabby grabbed onto their hands and asked to play.

Fleur and Harry took the youngest Delcour out for a walk.

Upon exiting the tent they saw that there were grand groups of people mingling absolutely everywhere, and the festive atmosphere of the gathering seemed to encourage the crowd to be more boisterous than normal, for there were shouted jests and loud greetings booming out all around.

'This is amazing,' Harry thought, feeling a happy flush color his cheeks as he just took in his surroundings while walking with his girlfriend and her little sister. Harry found the smell of fried ham and crisped bacon mixing with the fruity aroma of fresh wines almost as intoxicating as the heady feeling of belonging that being a part of such a gathering, rather than the focus of it, brought him. 'And Dear Merlin, I still can't believe how many fucking people are here!' he thought with a fierce smile.

Soon they were interrupted by Gabby wanting to visit one of the food vendors

Laughing they followed the little girl

The world cup game was absolutely amazing, so far, at least. There were animated fireworks and the loudest cheering he'd ever heard and a whole city's worth of magical people crammed shoulder to shoulder in the seats of the unbelievably massive stands. The food was hot, greasy, and delicious, being sold by the many roving vendors maneuvering through the stands, and the quidditch players were blisteringly fast, nimbly cornering on a dime and nothing more than a blur when flying straight.

A lot of work must have been really put into this

It was sure a lot bigger than 1990 was.

The Bulgarian seeker Victor Krum, was all but invisible in his constant speed, having been locked in a perpetual race against the Irish team's seeker since the start of the match for the little, golden-winged ball, which was proving too wily for either of the human bullets to pin down so far.

And somehow through all of this Fleur and Gabby had fallen asleep on his respective shoulders.

How on earth did that happen?

Oh Well

Fleur was never much into Quittich anyway.

He stroked his girlfriend's hair and he watched the match.

This was Quidditch on a truly intense scale. Harry was pressing his Omnioculars so hard to his glasses that they were cutting into the bridge of his nose.

The speed of the players was incredible - the Chasers were throwing the Quaffle to one another so fast that Bagman only had time to say their names. Harry spun the slow dial on the right of his Omnioculars again, pressed the play-by-play button on the top, and he was immediately watching in slow motion while glittering purple lettering flashed across the lenses and the noise of the crowd pounded against his eardrums.

The crowd shuddered with a roar of applause and cheers. "Ten zero to Ireland!"

"What?" Harry yelled, looking wildly around through his Omnioculars. "But Levski's got the Quaffle!"

"Harry, if you're not going to watch at normal speed, you're going to miss things!"Isaac reminded him from behind his seat.

Harry looked quickly over the top of his Omnioculars and saw that the leprechauns watching from the sidelines had all risen into the air again and formed the great, glittering shamrock. Across the field, the veela were watching them sulkily.

Harry spun his speed dial back to normal as play resumed.

He knew enough about Quidditch to see that the Irish Chasers were superb. They worked as a seamless team, their movements so well coordinated that they appeared to be reading one another's minds as they positioned themselves, and within ten minutes, Ireland had scored twice more, bringing their lead to thirty-zero and causing a thunderous tide of roars and applause from the green-clad supporters.

The match became still faster, but more brutal. Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian Beaters, were whacking the Bludgers as fiercely as possible at the Irish Chasers, and we're starting to prevent them from using some of their best moves; twice they were forced to scatter, and then, finally, Ivanova managed to break through their ranks; dodge the Keeper, Ryan; and score Bulgaria's first goal.

One hundred thousand wizards gasped as the two Seekers, Krum and Lynch, plummeted through the center of the Chasers. Harry followed their descent through his Omnioculars, squinting to see where the Snitch was - "They're going to crash!" Appoline screamed next to Harry.

She was half right - at the very last second, Viktor Krum pulled out of the dive and spiraled off. Lynch, however, hit the ground with a dull thud that could be heard throughout the stadium. A huge groan rose from the Irish seats.

"Fool!" moaned Sebastian. "Krum was feinting!"

"It's time-out!" yelled Bagman's voice, "as trained mediwizards hurry onto the field to examine Aidan Lynch!"

Harry hastily pressed the replay and play-by-play buttons on his Omnioculars, twiddled the speed dial, and put them back up to his eyes.

Lynch got to his feet at last, to loud cheers from the green-clad supporters, mounted his Firebolt, and kicked back off into the air. His revival seemed to give Ireland new heart. When Mostafa blew his whistle again, the Chasers moved into action with a skill unrivaled by anything Harry had seen so far.

After fifteen more fast and furious minutes, Ireland had pulled ahead by ten more goals.

They were now leading by one hundred and thirty points to ten, and the game was starting to get dirtier.

As Mullet shot toward the goal posts yet again, clutching the Quaffle tightly under her arm, the Bulgarian Keeper, Zograf, flew out to meet her. Whatever happened was over so quickly Harry didn't catch it, but a scream of rage from the Irish crowd, and Mostafa's long, shrill whistle blast, told him it had been a foul.

"And Mostafa takes the Bulgarian Keeper to task for cobbing - excessive use of elbows!"

Bagman informed the roaring spectators. "And - yes, it's a penalty to Ireland!"

The leprechauns, who had risen angrily into the air like a swarm of glittering hornets when Mullet had been fouled, now darted together to form the words "HA, HA, HA!" The veela on the other side of the field leaped to their feet, tossed their hair angrily, and started to dance again.

"IRELAND WINS!" Bagman shouted, who like the Irish, seemed to be taken aback by the sudden end of the match.

"KRUM GETS THE SNITCH - BUT IRELAND WINS - good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!"

"He knew they were never going to catch up!" Harry shouted back over all the noise, also applauding loudly. "The Irish Chasers were too good. . . . He wanted to end it on his terms"

By that point, the girls had woken up and were clapping along with the crowd.

"Krum was very brave, wasn't he?" Isaac said, leaning forward to watch Krum land as a swarm of mediwizards blasted a path through the battling leprechauns and veela to get to him. "He looks a terrible mess. . ." Harry muttered.

Krum, who was last in line, looked a real mess. Two black eyes were blooming spectacularly on his bloody face. He was still holding the Snitch. Harry noticed that he seemed much less coordinated on the ground. He was slightly duck-footed and distinctly round-shouldered. But when Krum's name was announced, the whole stadium gave him a resounding, earsplitting roar.

And then came the Irish team. Aidan Lynch was being supported by Moran and Connolly; the second crash seemed to have dazed him and his eyes looked strangely unfocused. But he grinned happily as Troy and Quigley lifted the Cup into the air and the crowd below thundered its approval. My hands were numb with clapping.

Sebastain ran into their room shouting.

"Get up! Fleur- Harry - come on now, get up, this is urgent!"

Harry sat up quickly and the top of his head hit the ceiling.

"S' matter?" he murmured.

Dimly, he could tell that something was wrong. The noises in the campsite had changed.

The singing had stopped. He could hear screams, and the sound of people running. He slipped down from the bunk and reached for his clothes, but

Sebastian, who had pulled on his jeans over his own pajamas, said, "No time, Harry -Fleur grab a jacket and get outside - quickly!"

"What's going on?" Harry asked, sleep still audible in his voice. "Is it something involving the Irish?"

"No, Harry," Sebastian said, no hint of humor in his voice."Something's wrong- there are tents being set on fire- we've got to go, now. follow me!"

Harry did as he was told and hurried out of the tent, Fleur at his heels.

By the light of the few fires that were still burning, he could see people running away into the woods, fleeing something that was moving across the field toward them, something that was emitting odd flashes of light and noises like gunfire. Loud jeering, roars of laughter, and drunken yells were drifting toward them; then came a burst of strong green light, which illuminated the scene.

" Get going. We will come and grab the tent in the morning. For now, just focus on getting back to the portkey field, the boot's still there."Isaac said coming from behind them.

Appoline had taken Gabby home a few hours ago so it was just Isaac, Sebastian,Harry, and Fleur left.

And Sebastian was soon rushing off to confer with the French Defense Officials.

So Isaac had to take them to safety.

A sudden, thunderous, CRACK-CRACK-BOOM erupted somewhere nearby which sounded like dynamite blowing a pine tree in half, drew startled jumps and shouts out of them all.

Harry found himself quickly swept up in a whirlwind of frenzied movement, but unlike earlier in the day, there was no merriment to be found, no festive spirit blanketing the gathered crowd. The night was clouded over, but light put off by half a dozen blazing tents, provided plenty of light to see, although it's hypnotic, dancing flames combined potently with the scurrying sea of bodies to inject even more disorientation into the fleeing crowd.

Not immune to the feeling, which was what Harry imagined being cast adrift into the ocean mid-storm must feel like, with naught but the insistent, choppy tide to guide you, Harry and Fleur found themselves separated from Isaac within a matter of minutes.

They held onto each other's hands for dear life.

A crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands pointing straight upward, was marching slowly across the field. Harry squinted at them.

"Death Eaters" Fleur gasped "Arry we have to get out of ere".

High above the figures, floating along in midair, four struggling figures were being contorted into grotesque shapes with two of the figures were very small.

More wizards were joining the marching group, laughing and pointing up at the floating bodies. Tents crumpled and fell as the marching crowd swelled. Once or twice Harry saw one of the marchers blast a tent out of his way with his wand. Several caught fire. The screaming grew louder.

"That's sick," Harry muttered, watching a small Muggle child begin to spin like a top, sixty feet above the ground, his head flopping limply from side to side.

"That is really sick. . . ."

Fleurs hand got him to realize though that they needed to be moving.

The colored lanterns that had lit the path to the stadium had been extinguished. Dark figures were blundering through the trees; children were crying; anxious shouts and panicked voices were reverberating around them in the cold night air.

Harry felt himself being pushed hither and thither by people whose faces he could not see. Then he heard Fleur yell with pain.

"What happened?" said Harry anxiously

Fleur was lying sprawled on the ground.

"Tripped over a tree root," she said angrily, getting to her feet again.

"You ok," He asked.

"Yeah," She said grimacing "Let's keep going"

Soon they came face to face with a group of three hooded figures.

One of them noticed Harry and Fleur.

"Look guys at that chick" He sneered at the pair "She would be fun palying with wouldn't she".

The other two Death Eaters agreed with him.

Harry moved his arm in front of Fleur.

"Get ready to move" He mouthed.

One of the Death Eaters laughed "Well what do you know the bastard wants to protect his girlfriend how romantic" He spat.

Harry saw Fleur nod out of the corner of his eye.

They both flew to the nearest cover while shouting curses

"_Crepitus,Everte Statum"_

The Death Eaters hurried to block and find their own cover.

They where outnumbered three against two.

Damn.

And of course, Harry got Two Death Eaters to deal with.

His rock got hit by an explosion.

Cursing Harry conjured up a shield before sending a barrage of curses at his enemies.

_"Bombarda,Confringo,Defodio,Depulso,Diffindo,Everte Statum"_

Most either missed or bounced into the Death Eaters shields though.

The howl of pain signaled that his exploding charm had hit something though.

One of the Death Eaters was clenching a badly mangled knee.

His partner was still firing at Harry though.

And that why you don't stop to look at your handiwork.

But he was soon interrupted by a curse and a horrible scream.

"_Crucio"_

He saw Fleur be taken down by the dreaded Torture Curse.

No

Before he could attack the Death Eater torturing Fleur his teammate sent a curse at Harry.

Swearing under his breath Harry sent an Exploding Charm at the ground that would send a cloud of dirt at the enemy he was directly facing rendering them immobile for several crucial seconds.

He had to save Fleur then.

Thinking quickly he used a dark curse that would most surely get rid of the Death Eater torturing his girlfriend.

"_Avada Kedavra"_

The Death Eater preforming the Torture Curse barely had time to look surprised before he crumpled to the ground.

"Fleur'

Harry ran to his girlfriend.

She was still alive.

Remembering to make sure they were not hit in the back he looked and saw the Death Eaters looking stunned at their fallen comrade.

"Get out of here" Harry snarled "Or I will do the same to you'

Hastily the two Death Eaters apparated away both of them badly injured.

With the immediate threat of danger gone, he looked down at Fleur.

She needed to get to a safe place.

The Death Eaters had apparated away so maby Harry could Apparate to the Manor.

He knew how to and he was keyed into the wards.

It was a risk.

But god damn it Fleur needed help.

Quickly he took out his wand "Expecto Patronum"

Seeing his Raven fly out he asked it "Can you find Isaac and let him know that something bad has happened and we are heading home".

It seemed to nod at Harry before flying off.

With that taken care of Harry focused on Fleur.

Taking her in his arms and focusing he disappeared in a pop.

Harry after arriving at the Manor ran with Fleur in his arms. He knocked on the door and screamed waiting for an answer.

\- HELP! Help! Please, Appoline open the door!

After a few minutes, Appoline Delcour showed up. She gazed at Harry, surprised and terrified when she noticed whom he was carrying.

Harry? What happened? FLEUR oh my baby! Come in!

\- 'Place 'er on the couch... 'urry up! - She quickly prepared the couch leaving pillows on the floor. Harry moved rapidly and put Fleur on the sofa. He was crying loudly, unable to say a word.

\- Arry, What happened to her? I need to know to help Fleur. And I would also like you to tell me. I know it's hard but you have to. - Appoline turned to Harry and tapped him on the back. He didn't even seem to notice it.

\- She was... They... Someone used Cr-cruciatus Curse on her.

\- Who? How many times, once or more?

\- The Death Eaters they were at the World Cup and it was only once!

Appoline decided not to press anymore. She also didn't want to show the fear in his mind. The Cruciatus Curse used on her daughter?. A house elf came up with some bottles and bandages in its arms and put them on the table.

\- You must leave now Arry. I 'ave to aid 'er.

\- I'm not going anywhere, I am not going to leave her anymore. - Harry was sure about that. He sat down on the chair next to her head and took her hand.

"Then send for Sebastian and Isaac they need to be here," she said.

Reluctantly he did the proper thing.

When he got back Appoline was grabbing the closest bottle and rubbing bruises and scratches. There was a hissing noise like frying oil on the pan. She waved her wand and murmured some spells.

\- 'Arry? I 'ave to take a blanket for Fleur. Put some dittany on thos scratchess, oui? And bandage it after that.

\- Okay. Is she going to be fine?

\- I think so.

Harry moved closer and picked up some bandages. When Appoline left he started sobbing again. He stroked Fleur's hair and kissed her forehead slowly. Then, he gently her wounds with his thumb covered with dittany. They disappeared immediately.

Fleur was trembling weakly with her eyes closed. Harry didn't know what to do. He held her strongly in his arms and leaned over her.

\- Fleur shhh... It's me you're safe now. No one can hurt you know, I'm here.

\- Fleur, it's me I'm here, wake up, please... Look at me, we are together, the Death Eaters can't do you any harm. I promise. - Fleur opened her eyes and loosened her body. She seemed startled and lost. Harry had never seen her so fragile and vulnerable.

\- Arry? Where are we? What's happened?

\- We're back home in the Manor. I am so sorry. I should've saved you.

She closed her eyes again and the tears came streaming down her face. Harry was unable to do any move. He didn't know if she was mad at him or just broken. It was until she whispered -

\- It was not your fault, Arry... You did save me. I would be dead by now, and I'm here with you.

\- Bloody hell, Fleur I was so scared about you. When I heard you screaming - it was the worst thing in my life. I... I can't even think of losing you.

Fleur smiled at him.

Suddenly, her facial expression changed. She twitched her eyebrows, moaned silently and dropped her hand from his face. - Arry, can you call Mama? I feel bad.

\- Appoline! Come here, quickly! - Harry shouted. Fleur was breathing slowly like she fell asleep. Appoline showed up carrying a nightgown. - She fainted, just like that! - Harry explained, terrified.

Appoline waved her wand, took a bottle from the cupboard and poured some liquid into Fleur's mouth.

\- She is asleep. Do not wori 'on, she was tired. Will you take 'er upstairs to her room?

\- Of course.

Harry carried Fleur and placed her on her bed. She was warmer and looked better. Her hair surrounded a beautiful, finally peaceful face. When Appoline came in, she asked Harry to leave. After a second he was invited back. He sat on the edge of the bed and gazed at his girlfriend. She was wearing a blue nightgown. Blue - her favorite color, he thought.

"Arry," Appoline asked "Do you know who did this"

"No," Harry said "They wore masks"

"What happened to them," She asked.

"The one who did this is no longer alive," Harry said gruffly.

Appolines eyes widened but she said nothing.

The roar of a fireplace from downstairs signaled that others had arrived.

"I will go talk to Sebastain'Appoline said and then her face softened "I hope you understand that we don't blame you for this Harry you saved her life".

As Appoline left and Harry stroked Fleurs hand he felt despair at what had happened.

All of his training and he couldn't prevent this happening to her.

But there were things he could learn to lessen the possibilities of this happening again.

Gazing upon Fleur he made a solemn vow to himself.

Never again.

**Author Note** Well this chapter is a bit darker.

Fleur will live and make a full recovery though.

Harry learned the Unforgivables from the Chamber of Secrets.

And he used them in the heat of the moment to save Fleurs life

Split Second Decision


	62. Chapter 61

Chapter 61

September 1st, 1994

Hogwarts

These past two weeks had been, to put it bluntly, a real international shit show.

On the bright side, Fleur seemed to be fine after a bit of bed rest.

He had stayed with her until she was ready to start getting back to normal.

And thus they were able to go back to school the normal way and on time.

So at least in that area, everything turned out ok.

But Sebastian had been pissed.

After checking in with Fleur and making sure that she would not die and would make a full recovery he had stormed over to England.

The Death Eater Attacks at the World Cup resulted in a diplomatic firestorm for the British Ministry and Fudge.

Pretty much all of the nations in attendance began complaining about security.

Which while Harry was upset at England he did acknowledge that many nations had security teams at the Games.

So Security was not 100 Percent Englands Responsibility in this instance.

What Harry and a lot of others were pissed about was the fact that Death Eaters that had escaped the war somehow managed to organize for the attack.

From what Sebastian said Fudge and the Brtish where very reluctant to talk about how several enemy combatants managed to organize into something along this scale.

He also found out the Death Eater he had killed was named Charles Gibson a relatively low leveled grunt who had slipped through the cracks at the end of the war by claiming the Imperius.

Soon after the British Ministry had found out who was responsible for the death they wanted to take him in for questioning.

Sebastian had quite vehemently been against that though.

He said that if the Ministry published the story on who killed the Death Eater or try and bring him in for questioning he would pull France from the Triwizard Tournament.

That was one of his abilities as the leader of France to prevent Madame Maxime and her students to travel to England to represent France.

Executive Privilege like that had not been used in decades though and Sebastian was not keen on using it again.

But thankfully Fudge had folded on that.

He agreed that neither Harry or Fleur would be questioned about Gibson's death.

And the Triwizard Tournament would continue as planned.

France and England would participate in a joint investigation into the events of the World Cup though.

Sebastian did not expect much to come out of it though.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After they arrived at Hogwarts the sorting ceremony went without a hitch and the feast began after that. Luckily Professor Dumbledore was a man of few words. Either that or the headmaster himself was so hungry that he could eat a hippogriff.

It didn't take long for each of the plates to be wiped off clean. The buzzing chatter within the hall ceased immediately the moment Albus Dumbledore stood.

"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year."

Pause for effect.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

There was quite an uproar at that. Pretty everyone from the four Quittich teams were yelling at the headmaster. Harry, however, remained passive.

Ignoring the uproar he just caused, Dumbledore continued, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -."

Dumbledore's speech was somehow cut by the sound of the door behind him banged open.

Harry meanwhile slowly took his wand out.

A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table.

A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. A student gasped.

The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Harry had ever seen. It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scared. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening. One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye - and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head so that all they could see was whiteness.

The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering words Harry couldn't hear. He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.

The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."

It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students chapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid, whom both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.

"As I was saying," Dumbledore said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" Fred Weasley said loudly from the Gryffindor Table.

The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. "I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun whom all go into a bar."

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Er - but maybe this is not the time... no. . ." said Dumbledore, "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament. . . well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely. "The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

As the students continued to chatter Harry felt glad that he would be seeing Fleur soon.

The Tournament worried him to no end though.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later on, he was down in the Chamber looking at the instructions for a very difficult spell to perfect.

Fiendfyre. It is a very spell that is quite easy to lose control of and the devastation it can wreck when uncontrolled is insurmountable by any other spell.

Many Dark spells are said to be alive, to have their own consciousness when they're brought into this world with some of the most dangerous Dark Arts being considered sentient. They have the ability to change and shift based on their intentions and the world around them. They can respond independently of the caster, making them exceedingly difficult to counter. Depending on the magic being cast, different approaches have to be used to handle them.

Fiendfyre is the only Dark Spell classified as a Dark spell solely due to its sentience. It is pure fire, given life. Its flames can devour everything in its path, regardless of any precautions taken.

Imagine a toddler with the ultimate power of destruction. No morals holding him back, nothing outside of his reach. That is why control is of the utmost importance with this spell. If you don't have absolute control over the magic, it will devour everything in its path, including you.

The wand movement for the incantation is simple. A flick to the side with a short jab down, The spell will not work without a desire to destroy something. After that, just hold onto the magic and don't let it slip

Closing the book Harry breathed in before focusing and looking at a desk he had conjured before.

"Fiendfyre!"

Green and blue flames shot out of the end of his wand, arcing into a tight spiral before splaying out and forming a snake's face, the rest of the body quickly forming down the magic until the tip of the tail left the wand. The fire-snakes jaws opened wide, its jaw unhinging, before crashing into the splintered desk like waves upon rocks. The desk burst into brightly colored flames, little snakes and scorpions forming out of the flamelets as they jumped from one chunk of wood to another. As the desk turned into ash the flames started leaping away from the desk, splashing uselessly against the flagstones and walls, finding nothing left to burn.

Harry felt his breath turned labored, but ignored it, intent on watching the full life of the fire. It took several minutes, but the fire finally extinguished with nothing left to burn. Harry waved his wand and air rushed back into the room, relieving the burning need for oxygen that the fire had consumed

Sweat was dripping down his face.

God Damn it that was hard.

Time for a break

**Author Note** To those who say that Fleurs reaction to the Torture Curse was overkill

Well, I think it was good for the time that she had been put under of about a minute or so.


	63. Chapter 62

Chapter 62

September 5th, 1994

Hogwarts

If there was anything to be said about Mad-Eye Moody's teaching methods, it was that they were certainly 'unconventional.' From the very first day in DADA, the eccentric man had made it abundantly clear that he didn't give a rats arse about the Ministry approved curriculum and would be teaching them more about the dark arts than how to defend against them. Not that Harry could complain, considering all of the illegal and highly dangerous spells he'd learned on his own over the years.

At the end of the first week, Moody introduced the class to the unforgivables. Moody's chosen victim was a small bird with black wings and dark eyes. It was sat innocently in a cage atop his desk at the beginning of class and most didn't notice the timid little thing's presence until the professor brought attention to it by flicking open the cage. The bird was in the middle of its desperate escape when it was hit by a plume of hazy yellow smoke and changed courses, slowly flying back to Moody's desk.

From there, the wizard's mismatched eyes filled with wild anticipation as his fun began and he made the bird fly all over the room. It nipped at fingertips and tittered cheerfully in ears, eliciting a wonderful chorus of laughter and shouts of surprise. At one point, it even attacked a Hufflepuff's hair with its small wings, ruffling the carefully styled locks much to the squawked indignation of the girl. Harry was one of the few who watched in apprehension, knowing that the Imperius curse was no laughing matter, it could make people do horrible things, and that there was a reason it was called an 'unforgivable.'

Something darkened in Moody's expression as he forced the bird over to a basin of water and it flapped helplessly over the still surface, unable to fight against the curse. Laughter dried up quickly at the panicked chirps coming from the small creature.

"Shall I make it drown itself? I could." The simplicity of the statement had the entire class slowly realizing the power of the curse and just how dangerous it could be. After a moment of silence, Moody brought the bird back to his desk and looked out over the room of pale faces that didn't meet his eyes. "Some might say that the imperius curse is the least harmful of the three, but I'd beg to differ. Every day, we take advantage of our free will, unable to imagine what it would be like to be imprisoned within our own bodies, completely at the mercy of another."

Moody looked down at the bird on his desk, still under the influence of the unforgivable.

"Does anyone what the next one is?" Moody spat out in distaste as he scanned the room. Knowing where he was going with that line of questions. Harry spoke after Moody prompted with an impatient gesture.

"The cruciatus curse, sir," Harry answered blankly, hoping that he was wrong about what might happen next. Harry hated unnecessary suffering and especially hated the Unforgivables after what had happened during the World Cup. He would not react well if Moody tried to torture the bird, in front of a class full of near-children, no less.

"Crucio!" Harry closed his eyes as the bird he had been looking at began to screech and flap helplessly against the desk as it suffered unimaginable pain. He heard the startled and distressed complaints of his peers at the gruesome display, even though their 'instructor' seemed to be lost within his own mind as he tortured the innocent creature.

Realizing that 'Moody' would not be stopping any time soon, Harry took matters into his own hands. Not moving an inch, Harry sent a wandless cutting curse at the bird's neck causing the little creature to crumple onto the desk, suddenly still and put out of his misery. Moody jolted, shock momentarily sparking in his face before he seemed to come back to himself and clear his throat as he realized what he'd done.

Moody looked up at Harry, then, something unreadable in his eyes as the air slowly warmed. Harry's face remained completely blank under the professor's scrutiny. Their staring was interrupted by one of the other students speaking up in the otherwise silent class.

"Professor, does the cruciatus curse usually kill its victims like that?"

"Only if the victim is very weak or ill before-hand and after a long period of time." He answered distractedly. The same student spoke up again.

"Was the bird sick?"

At this, Moody's eyes shifted to a chilling glacial green that pierced through him and left a cold sweat on the back of his neck.

"Perhaps." Was all the man said before returning to his lesson—though he seemed rather distant and a bit shocked for the rest of it—choosing to teach the last unforgivable only in theory since his test subject was already gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The week following was far more interesting than the first, seeing as Moody made it his duty to make sure that his students knew how to actually fight off an imperius curse. After the rather grim note, the previous lesson had been left on, Moody had decided to once again aim for a more light-hearted approach and kept the commands he made of the students under the curse quite silly. Such as, jumping on one foot or making animal noises.

Harry lingered near the back of the class, trying—unsuccessfully—to go unnoticed, as he despised the idea of being under the influence of the curse. Harry would be the first to admit that he had problems relinquishing control to another. If it could be helped, he knew he would never do as such unless it was to someone he completely trusted. And he certainly did not trust Moody that much!

Eventually, though, Moody called Harry forward with an interesting light in his eyes. Harry barely had time to prepare himself before the Imperius rolled onto him

Harry could feel the insistent press of Moody's will against his own, but his mental shields where unyielding and he remained outwardly unaffected. Professor Moody grinned at the challenge and doubled down on Harry. A faint sheen of sweat formed on Harry's forehead as he continued to resist. Harry had very little practice with the imperius curse—which meant none—and so he was putting unnecessary amounts of energy and magic into resisting the cruse. He was doing it with brute magical force, and it was already beginning to drain him.

He only technically needed to shield his mind, but he couldn't risk shifting his magic while the blunt edge of the curse was pressing in on him. The briefest moment of hesitation could allow Moody in to control him. By the time Moody finally relented, he was also sweating and a bit red-faced as he grinned almost victoriously. Harry was breathing a little heavy and had to quickly swipe the sweat from his brow, but was composed once again after only a minute or two. Moody had boasted to the class about Harry's success in resisting and even made Harry share some techniques he'd used.

Well, that was fun Harry thought.

Moody's approach to teaching DADA was undeniably rough and brazen. Harry had even heard that one of the Gryffindor students had had a particularly hard time with the initial unforgivables lesson and had to be comforted after class. However, nobody dared go and complain to their head of house or another professor about the unconventional methods. Because, despite the slight danger and uncomfortably gruesome topics, none of them could deny that Moody was an amazing instructor. Moody didn't tiptoe around anything because of their age and was working hard to make sure that they knew as much as possible.


	64. Chapter 63

Chapter 63

October 30th, 1994

Hogwarts

October came fairly quickly with the Scottish summer being short at best and the light, warm rain gradually transitioned into heavier, cold rain. The leaves of the Forbidden forest began to change, the Whomping Willow moulted and an autumn mist began to settle over the Black Lake in the mornings.

The coming of October was also synonymous with the beginning of the Triwizard Tournament this year and its approaching advent had been all anyone was talking about.

Harry felt ready to see his girlfriend again.

Although His skepticism about the tournament hadn't been particularly helped by the fact they were looking at a piece about one of the final years of the tournament. The first event had resulted in all three champions being killed by an irate dragon.

Harry reassured himself though that the organizers would have learned their lesson and it was unlikely they would include some form of large, dangerous magical creature in the opening round this time. It made it marginally less likely that whoever was foolish enough to get selected would die straight away.

'Aren't Beauxbaton and Durmstrang's students meant to be arriving today,' Joe asked from across where he sat.

'I think so,' Harry said 'but I don't know how they're arriving.' which was true that no one had told him how Beaubatonx would be arriving.

A burst of startled exclamations from by the window drew the attention of everyone in the hall.

'It's a bird,' someone called out.

'No, it's a plane,' a Muggle-born student cried out to a few sniggers and more than a few blank looks from those raised in the magical world.

'It's Beauxbatons' flying carriage,' Ashlee said as it drew closer. 'It's pulled by Abraxan horses.'

Beaubatonx

That meant Fleur would be here soon.

Their coach was pale, pastel blue and rather ornate. The coach soon disappeared behind the central tower and Harry returned to his book again.

Harry was more than a little amused at the air of excitement around him.

Sure he was excited to see Fleur but not to this amount

'Something's happening to the lake,' a first-year squeaked.

'It's bubbling,' someone cried in surprise.

'There's a ship.'

'It must be Durmstrang,' someone said.

'Do they know about the giant squid?' a guy asked from behind him. Harry bit back a laugh. That could be a nasty surprise for Durmstrang.

'If everyone could find a seat on their house tables,' Dumbledore suggested, his wand held against his throat to magnify his voice over all the excitement. 'Let's give a good impression to our guests.'

The Durmstrang students were confusing as they were dressed for cold weather the likes of which Scotland had never seen before. Their headmaster, a silver-haired, sour-faced man with a short, pointed goatee came last, his arm draped about the broad shoulders of his final student.

'That's Viktor Krum,' Catherine hissed. A murmur of surprise and admiration spread as the prodigious young seeker entered the hall.

'Igor,' Dumbledore welcomed, arms outspread and eyes twinkling beneath his spectacles. He received a sharp, curt nod in return, something Harry thought looked slightly rude.

'Madame Maxime is on her way,' the foreign professor announced in surprisingly unaccented English. 'She stopped to give more precise instructions to your gamekeeper about her Abraxans.'

Dumbledore let his arms drop and continued to smile magnanimously as his counterpart joined him at the elevated table and his students, following Krum's lead, found space on the Slytherin table.

The hall began to fill with whispers as they waited for the French students to arrive.

As the Beaubatonx students arrived they were led by the largest woman he had ever seen in his life. Many people gasped as they saw this woman. Harry believed he had only ever seen one person as large as this woman in his life, and that was Hagrid; in fact, he doubted whether there was any difference at all in their heights. Yet somehow, this woman that was now looking around the astonished crowd seemed even taller and larger to Harry. Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob and she was dressed from head to toe in black satin, with many magnificent opals dangling off her person.

Dumbledore started to applaud; the students began to follow his lead. The woman relaxed into a gracious smile and walked towards Dumbledore while extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, while rather tall himself, barely had to bend to kiss it.

"My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dorr," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," replied Dumbledore.

"My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands behind her.

Harry, who like many of the students had been watching the exchange between Madame Maxime and Dumbledore, turned to look at the emerging girls. He estimated about thirty students in total. They seemed to be shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of them wore cloaks. A few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads. Some of them were staring as Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.

Looking carefully he saw the face of his girlfriend who looked at him with a smile while also chattering in the cold.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fleur entered the castle looking up as the Beauxbatons delegation set foot in the entrance hall. Although it was not Beauxbatons, she really had to admire the magnificent hall; with the tall roof and marble staircase off to the side, it did have quite nice architecture.

She was with her old friend Cosette and two new friends she had made Danielle Darrieux and Julie Gayet

"Come on, let's go find seats!" Fleur looked down to see her friend Cosette beckoning her to follow her into the Great Hall. After stepping foot in the Great Hall, she and the rest of the delegation stopped again.

"Wow," many of them murmured as they looked around the beautiful and extravagant hall. The Hall stretched out long and wide and featured four separate tables, each with a different colored banner flying over them. At the end of the hall stood a single long table that had a black banner flying over it with what she guessed was the Hogwarts coat of arms. The roof (or was it a roof?) seemed to be enchanted to her so that it reflected the sky, something she thought was rather impressive and clever. She then decided to glance around the hall and was unsure of where to go now.

She decided to look for her boyfriend first though

Soon she meets his eye by the Ravenclaw Table.

"Where do we sit?" Isabelle Duchesnay asked as the delegation was now unsure of where to sit at for the feast.

"Let's sit under the blue banner," Fleur responded as she walked towards the Ravenclaw table, which was set to the very right of the room when entering from the entrance hall, with the rest of the delegation following closely behind.

Harry rose to meet her.

They shared a quick kiss.

"I'm glad to see you Arry," She said.

"You to Fleur" He murmured back "Come sit"

They sat near the back of the hall, where the table had been slightly extended, along with the Slytherin table which was positioned at the very left of the hall. As Fleur sat down in between Harry and Cossette, she saw that the Durmstrang students had sat at the Slytherin table, while the rest of the Hogwarts students filed in and sat according to their respective houses.

Their friends looked at them in surprise.

"Whos the girl Harry," A Dark-eyed girl with black hair said looking at them in surprise.

Her own friends seemed surprised that this was her boyfriend.

Well, they had never said much about how much time they spend together.

Thankfully the French gossip columns had gotten the students at Beaubatonx aware of her relationship.

And they would not do anything to protest it due to the power of her father.

But apparently, Harry's friends were a bit out of the loop.

As well as several of the students at the table who were looking confused.

Neither of them noticed the shocked looks given from several at the Staff Table and at the table across the way.

"Guys," Harry said taking her hand and turning to his friends "This is my girlfriend Fleur Delcour".

They looked shocked at first.

And then a student chuckled "Well then you've got a lot to tell us about Potter" He said.

Harry smiled as they all took their seats.

The students around the table listened with rapt attention as Harry and Fleur told them the basics.

Several of Harry's classmates seemed shocked at first but then where soon congratulating Harry for "Bagging a real looker".

They both could not stop blushing at that one.

Allthough they did realize that their was truth in that statement.

Fleur knew that her body was considered beautiful to many with her hour glass figure and her large E cup breasts.

But she also knew that Harry was one of those people that did not care for her looks and saw her for who she was.

That was one of the reasons she loved him so much

And then soon afterwords everyone broke off into conversation.

Thankfully both Harry and Fleurs friend groups got along fine with each other.

It helped that her friends had a good knowledge of English.

Their conversations soon turned quite pleasant.

"I will say the architecture here is quite impressive," Cosette remarked as the Beauxbatons students began to converse quietly, awaiting everyone else to sit down. "Obviously I prefer Beauxbatons, but this will suffice for the year, don't you think Fleur?"

"Yes, it's quite cozy," Fleur replied as Dumbledore, Madame Maxime, and Karkaroff filed in and sat at the long High Table at the very back of the hall. Dumbledore remained standing and the hall became silent almost immediately.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and – most particularly – guests," said Dumbledore, beaming at the foreign students and Hogwarts students alike. "I am honored and have the great pleasure of welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," continued Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

The moment Dumbledore sat down, Fleur saw the empty plates in front of her immediately filled with food. She noticed some French dishes were mixed in along with the English dishes that seemed to be rather different in design and style. At once her friends engaged in conversation and she talked with Harry.

"So, who do you think will be the Durmstrang and Hogwarts champion?" Catherine asked them as she began to eat a plate of ratatouille.

They all shrugged.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After dinner was completed, Dumbledore stood up once again and began to talk more about the tournament. 'Now that our guests have arrived it is time we come to the main attraction of the year.' The headmaster approached the lectern at the head of the hall. 'It is time for the Triwizard Tournament to begin, but first, the rules.'

'First of all, it should be made very clear that nobody below the age of seventeen is allowed to enter.' The hall erupted into groans of disappointment.

Fleur watched as he then introduced Department Heads from the British Ministry of Magic (Bartemius Crouch of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Ludo Bagman of the Department of Magical Games and Sports). He then proceeded to talk about the champions, which was when Fleur and everyone around her immediately focused their attention on Dumbledore.

Dumbledore, noticing the sudden attentiveness of the students, smiled and said, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Everyone turned to watch Filch approach Dumbledore carrying a large wooden chest encrusted with jewels. Many students started to murmur in excitement as the chest was placed carefully on the table before Dumbledore.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore. "Necessary arrangements have been made in preparation for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways…their magical prowess – their daring – their powers of deduction – and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," continued Dumbledore. "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked based on how well they perform each task and the winner of the Triwizard Cup will be announced at the end of the third task. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire." Dumbledore took his wand out and tapped it on the lid of the chest, which slowly opened to present a large wooden cup that had blue and white flames dancing within. The goblet was carefully placed on top of the closed chest, where it was visible for everyone in the Hall to see.

"Anyone wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, on Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. This goblet will remain here, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete."

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eyes, as he looked around at the various Hogwarts students (his eyes lingered on the Weasley twins), "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line."

Most of the students in the hall had already started searching for pieces of parchment, ink, and quills during Dumbledores speech as if the first few to enter might have some advantage.

"I must warn all that wish to compete; this tournament is not to be taken lightly. Once selected by the Goblet of Fire, you are obliged to see the tournament through to the end, as selection constitutes a binding, magical contract. Once you become a champion, you remain a champion. Therefore, please be certain that you are willing to participate in the tournament. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."


	65. Chapter 64

Chapter 64

October 31st, 1994

Hogwarts

Today Fleur would enter her name in the Triwizard Tournament.

But now sitting by her dresser she reached for her hairbrush and began to pull it through her hair. It didn't really need brushing but she liked doing it nonetheless and it gave her time to think.

Last night had been a blast.

Their friends had really hit it off together.

And it was great to see Harry in person after two months.

The great thing was that they would be spending the remainder of their last year of school together.

Of course, that came with the caveat that she could be chosen for the Triwizard Tournament.

But that in itself was not that much of a concern right now.

She could hold her own if chosen for the Tournament.

While that was a worry there were some other things that she had been paying more attention to.

This was their last year of school.

They needed to make sure they knew what they were doing after they graduated.

Harry had indicated that he wanted to move to France before starting a political career.

She would fully support him in his endeavors.

Her father had already said that he would endorse a Senate Bid by Harry.

Fleur herself wanted to try out a career in the medical field.

She had realized that it was much better to help heal people than hurting them in the line of law enforcement.

What had happened at the World Cup was still fresh in her mind.

And she already knew she was not a person with the right skill set to serve in the government.

Harry and Sebastian could have fun in the political field on their own.

But that brought along another question.

In order to live in France, he would need a house to live.

And Fleur wanted to live with him after school then.

Although she was not sure how to formally ask him yet.

From what she could see he was open to the idea.

But she was still not sure yet.

Anyhow they would be meeting up soon to head to the Great Hall together.

Fleur replaced the hairbrush back on the desk and wandered into the bathroom to get changed.

Fleur then slipped out of the carriage to meet Harry.

Somehow she was soaked before she had even reached halfway to the doors. It was ridiculous the rain level with there being as much water in the air as there was in the lake it seemed.

She loved the fact that she was in England with Harry but in terms of the climate she very much longed for the bright sun of southern France.

Well, she better get used to this for the next eight months.

The grey, dreary battlements of Hogwarts were definitely a far cry from the graceful architecture of Beauxbatons. Everything was solid, square and grey, even the few towers were sturdy rather than slender. She supposed they needed the thick walls to keep out the rain and, furthermore, deduced that there was little point in building a beautiful castle when the clouds would always obscure it.

She smiled once she saw her boyfriend.

Harry broke out in a grin when they kissed.

"Ready to put your name in," He asked.

Fleur nodded and pulled out a piece of paper "Got it right here" She said.

"Good" He nodded "Think you will get chosen".

"I don't know," She said, "We will have to see, are you sure you don't want to throw your name in the ring".

"No" Harry shook his head "I will either help you out if you get chosen or root for the Hogwarts Champion but I'm not interested".

"All right then let me put my name in and then we can do some other things," Fleur said as they walked towards the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was quiet at this time of day; a far cry from how it had been when they first arrived. As they had hoped, the initial enthusiasm about the goblet and entering names had faded and the students that had stayed to cheer prospective champions had lost interest after a few hours.

She let go of Harry's hand and with quick, confident strides she made her way down the center of the hall to the flame-filled artifact. The age line rippled as she crossed it, but nothing happened as she placed her name in the cup.

Fleur Delacour, the parchment's slanting, the delicate script read in the blue light of the goblet before the flames swallowed it and the light flared red. Her name was accepted, as it was always going to be. She had had no doubt of that.

Turning back she walked to Harry.

"Ok now I have some places I would like to show you," Harry said as they walked towards the second floor of the school.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They narrowly made it to the Ceremony on time after having been quite busy down in the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry and Fleur sat down at the Ravenclaw Table and caught up with their friends.

Soon the Hogwarts Headmaster spoke.

"Now that our stomachs are full and our thirst is settled, I think we shall begin the selection. Mr. Flich bring in the goblet" Dumbledore said loudly gaining her attention. As the Goblet was wheeled in the blue fire were really something else, Dumbledore stuck out his hand and the fire burst into a bright purple. A small piece of parchment flew in the sky and the older wizard caught it with ease "The Durmstrang champion is... Victor Krum!" He boomed "Will all champions exit into the side room on the left thank you" Krum stood retrieving the parchment from the old man and left the room.

Again the Goblet exhaled a piece of parchment from the purple burst "Representing Hogwarts will be...Cedric Diggory!" He called loudly and the Hufflepuff man stood proudly shaking hands with his headmaster and heading to the side room. The final piece of Parchment flew out of the Goblet so fast the old man almost missed it "The Beauxbatons champion will be...Fleur Delacour!"

What.

Not being able to register the news at first Harry got her back to her senses.

"Go up their Fleur your champion".

She paused for a moment then stood walking to the ancient wizard, taking her parchment and left the room for the quieter side room. "So this is it then?" Cedric asked turning to see her enter the room, his eyes were slightly glazed but he seemed to be handling himself "I'm Cedric" He said extending his hand.

Cedric's handshake was cut short by the door opening again,

It was Harry's brother the Boy Who Lived Max Potter.

What was he doing here?

"What is it, Max? Do they want us to come back up?" Cedric asked walking closer to Max, he looked like he was about to say something when chaos broke out.

Dumbledore strode quickly across the room and grabbed Mx by the front of his robes "Did you enter your name in the Goblet of Fire! Did you!" He said quickly and with anger, nearly holding the boy off the floor.

Max shook his head with a scowl on his face "No! I swear Professor I didn't!" He said loudly.

Another woman came in "Albus get your hands off my son" She hissed.

"Yes, of course, Lilly," Dumbledore said calming himself down."This situation is a bit surprising though".

Snape rolled his eyes " Potter is just looking for more attention" he said dryly.

Harry's head almost snapped from the speed he turned to face the man

"Attention! I can guarantee you that my son is not an attention seeker Snivellus" Another man hissed with rage.

"Potter, Severus can you stop queriling for one minute," McGonagall said sternly, though Fleur could see a faint smile around her lips; her eyes showed almost fear too.

Harry's brother was the Fourth champion, she balked at the very idea. It was the Triwizard Tournament. Three schools. Three champions. It was an honor, the greatest recognition, to be chosen. and Fleur could not believe him. Nobody would not want to be part of this. It was dangerous, but that was just part of the appeal, another reason to accept the challenge and be remembered as one of their schools' greatest.

How had he gotten in though?

It could only be that either that the age line had been set to specifically allow the boy who lived to pass, or his name had never been in the goblet, to begin with, and Professor Dumbledore had merely pretended to pull it out.

Both theories placed the blame squarely at the foot of the Supreme Mugwump.

It was a chilling realization, for nobody would ever question the word of Albus Dumbledore. He was the vanquisher of Grindelwald, the world's most powerful wizard and certainly one of the most knowledgeable. His opinions were treated as fact. If he had said, or even implied, that Max had put his name in the goblet and been chosen, nobody would dream of questioning him, simply because he was Dumbledore.

That was definitely something to talk to her father about.

Of course, if her theory was true, then that meant Dumbledore wanted him in the tournament for some reason, and wanted him in addition to another, older representative.

She could not understand why though.

"I don't even want to be in this stinking tournament anyhow Snape, I quit," Max said walking towards the door and breaking her out of her thoughts...

"I am afraid Mr. Potter you have an active contract on you right now, you cannot quit" Barty Crouch finally spoke up.

Dumbledore soon pulled the other Heads along with Professors into a warded area to talk in private, the only other people were Krum who was looking over Max with a gleam in his eyes, Cedric who was glaring at Max and probably thought he entered himself.

Dumbledore and everyone else returned after a few minutes "Mr. Potter, this is a usual situation, however. You have to compete in this tournament." Crouch said calmly "Mr. Bagman"

The Potter Parents did not seem happy at that.

Ludo nodded "All right Champions gather round, November 22nd will be the day the first task will begin. This will be a challenge of daring and nerve. You will not know what danger you will be facing." He said with a wide smile "Tomorrow we have a wand ceremony to test your wands"

Fleur watched as Krum grunted and Max shrugged. Madam Maxine without another word guided her away from the group. She turned around to watch Cedric and Max getting led off by Dumbledore.

From what she told Fleur the arguments had been very nasty to put it lightly.

But enough worrying about the Fourth Tri-Wizard Champion.

She needed to talk to Harry about his brother and the First Task.

**Author Note** Yeah I decided not to have Harry be put in the Tournament since I didn't want to have to write scenes where Harry and Fleur were competing against each other.

On the other side though it will be interesting when Fleur has to rescue Harry in the Second Task.

Let the Games Begin


	66. Chapter 65

Chapter 65

October 31st, 1994

Hogwarts

They left the Great Hall with Fleur having put her name in the Goblet of Fire

"Ok," Harry said, "Follow me".

"Where are we going," Fleur asked.

"Someplace I think you will find interesting," He said.

Shrugging Fleur followed her boyfriend to see what he had to show her.

They arrived at a second floors girl bathroom.

"Why are we at a girls bathroom Arry," Fleur asked.

"It's ok there's no one who goes to this bathroom" He reassured her.

And like he said the bathroom seemed pretty run down.

Fleur looked as he led her to a sink.

He began speaking in the language of the snakes Parseltongue.

She had known for a while that her boyfriend had the ability to speak Parseltongue.

It did not worry her about his ability but it was weird hearing it in real life.

Soon a staircase came off the side of the sink.

She followed down the stairs where after walking down another hallway they arrived in a large chamber.

She stared around her in wonder.

'Where is this?'

'The Chamber of Secrets,' Harry grinned.

"Wow," Fleur said "This is the Salazar Slytherin's Chamber then"

"Yes," He replied.

"How on earth did you find this place," She asked.

"It's a long story," He said chuckling.

Harry took Fleur to then see the Bookshelf in the back of the chamber.

She seemed very interested in seeing all of the interesting books and tomes.

One of the books that he wanted to look at the most he needed her help with due to the requirement of two people for it to work successfully.

He wanted to become an Anigmus.

So they soon were reading the book about Anigmus training together.

'An animagus, is able, once they are fully capable of using their form, of retaining most of their faculties, even if they are influenced while within their animagus body. Ordinary human to animal transfiguration leaves the altered wizard or witch with no more intelligence or understanding than the animal they have become. A partial transfiguration can have either effect, depending on the part of the body altered.

"In order to become an Anigmus, you must need another person with you who will use a spell caused Mutata Interiore

"Well, you mind doing at"Harry asked.

Fleur said "Mutata Interiore" and Harry closed his eyes.

There was a glimpse of a slim, black body. Slender scales, tapering away. Dark eyes, gleaming like gimlets. The dispassionate, distant curiosity of the hunter, its patience, its power. The cruel-edged, long, straight beak, curving talons, and the sleek feathers that concealed him in the shadows.

A raven.

The curiosity was catching, the sense of the raven slipping closer to himself, pervading and permeating his mind, twisting his thoughts into unreadable loops. Harry was distantly aware that he was changing, the world looming larger, and the ceiling rising away from him.

Old-cold-living-stone.

It rung under his talons as he tapped them against it, intrigued that what was not-alive felt so strange. He clacked his beak, hopping from the floor to the warmer, dead-wood-once-trees; it gave him a better view of the room. Dipping his beak into his feathers he eyed the surroundings, tilting and tipping his head to take in as much as he could as quickly as he could.

Two-legged-no-wings-no-feathers.

The creature seemed familiar, but it was old and slow. He could see it in the lines of its pale skin, the talonless tips of its feet, and the greying of its hair.

Not prey. Not a threat.

He clacked his beak at it curiously, hopping closer. It was the only creature present. The living stone drove the others away with its unusualness.

The creature moved with sudden speed, and the desk crumpled underneath him, pitching him onto the floor with an indignant squawk, until he found himself staring at his fingers on the stone, and the raven faded away.

'How curious?' Harry stood up slowly, inspecting himself to see if he was completely human again.

He was.

'I truly was the raven.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

After finishing reading about Anigmus Harry was able to somehow convince Fleur to have a mock duel.

Neither particularly wanted to hurt each other but it would be good practice.

Fleur was waiting in the middle of the chamber with her rosewood wand, extended out to her right.

'Normal rules,' Fleur decided, conjuring a glowing circle across the floor. 'Nothing too dangerous, and no speaking anything but spells and no trying to distract each other.'

Her wand snapped up without warning, and Harry immediately flicked his into his palm in preparation.

'Shall we begin,' Fleur returned her wand arm to its original position and Harry mirrored her, forcing himself to look away from her eyes and consider her an enemy.

Fleur struck first, unleashing a trio of jinxes with her wand movements sliding from one spell into the next without halting.

He deflected two of them back at her, side-stepping the last and attacked himself, throwing every one of the borderline useless spells he knew at her, but Fleur proved impossible to touch.

She stepped around them, weaving fluidly, almost dancing amongst the beams of magic, deflecting the few she could not dodge back at him and constantly turning and twisting him along the edge of the ring stretching the angles he could deflect her spells at to their limit.

Harry couldn't seem to pin her down, no matter how fast he cast, and his spells were slicing across the air from his wand tip twice as fast as Fleur could send them back. She was glorious in action. It was hard to ignore the way she moved to avoid his magic, the way Fleur curved away from his hexes was almost hypnotic.

Fleur may not like to fight a lot but she sure knew how to defend herself well enough.

The events of the World Cup and the Tournament had gotten her interested in really learning self-defense.

Abandoning his assault for a moment, he slashed his wand across his chest drawling the water from the pool behind her, he conjured a liquid serpent the length of the bridge that twisted forwards through the air to encircle and shatter her shield.

'Expelliarmus,' Harry murmured, just as her defenses faltered, and then it was over, and Fleur's wand was in his hand.

Grinning triumphantly he gave Fleur her wand back.

Fleur scowled but he knew she was fine with everything.

'So what did you think?' He asked.

``I can't believe you beat me already' she sighed.

'Already?'

'I expected you to win eventually, I'm good at dueling, but I'm better suited to enchanting and other subtler aspects of magic as well as the medical field"

"Well at the very least we will never have to face each other on a battlefield," Harry said.

"Indeed" Fleur agreed.

Harry noticed the time.

"We had better go if we want to get to the Selection Ceremony on time," He said.

"Oui" Fleur said and followed him out of the Chamber as they headed back upstairs and to the Great Hall.

They would be working more at a later date on his Animagus form and seeing if he could transform into a raven.


	67. Chapter 66

Chapter 66

November 13th, 1994

Hogwarts

Fleur rested up against Harry as they laid against a tree by the Great Lake.

They both had free periods right now so they decided to have a picnic by the lakeside.

The basket filled with their trash was to the side of their blanket.

And now that they had finished their meal and their lesson they were dozing away.

Today was the Weighing of the Wands Ceremony so Fleur had let Madame Maxime know where they would be so she could find her on time.

But now as she relaxed into her boyfriend's chest she felt content.

It was a nice feeling that was very welcome at this moment.

The past two weeks since the Champion Selection had brought many changes to the occupants of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

No One had been quite able to figure out how Max Potter had gotten entered into the tournament.

He along with Headmaster Dumbledore and several of the staff had said they believed that Mr. Potter had not put himself in the tournament.

But not a lot of the students tended to think that way.

Harry did not know what to think about the fourth champion.

Despite there being no love between Harry and his family he was being realistic.

Neither of them believed that it was possible that Max Potter entered himself in the Tournament.

So neither of them took the offered Potter Stinks badges.

They had other things to worry about.

The most important one was that they had no idea what the First Task would be or how to prepare for it.

They had spent time practicing a variety of magic but they were at a disadvantage not knowing what Fleur would be facing.

Harry's help had been invaluable in preparing.

He was doing the job of a supportive boyfriend just wonderfully.

Working together they had made good progress towards their Anigmus transformations.

From what they had been able to gather Harrys Anigmus form was a raven and hers was a swan.

It would, of course, take more practice to perfect.

But they where doing it is.

As they rested Fleur sensed that someone was approaching.

It was Madame Maxime.

She got herself out of Harry's arms who then stood up behind her.

"Are you ready Fleur?"Her Headmistress asked her.

Fleur nodded "The Ceremony should not take long".

"I hope not," Maxime said sighing "But with the assumption that we will be busy for a while Mr. Potter you had best get back to your common room"

Harry yawned "I think I will do that" Than kissing Fleur "Good luck, ill take everything back," He told her

"Merci" She smiled before walking off with her headmistress.

XXXXXXXXX

Fleur was the last champion to arrive at the wand-weighing ceremony, slipping embarrassedly through the door until she realized the wand-maker was not yet present and relaxed. Krum was leaning against the wall on the far side of the small room, staring at nothing in a rather broody fashion.

The Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory, stood in the center of the floor, rocking back and forth on his heels as they waited. He seemed oddly at ease, even with Madam Maxime towering over him.

Harry's brother, on the other hand, had been abandoned to the wiles of the reporter Rita Skeeter. The two of them had withdrawn into the only unoccupied corner as the colorful, blond woman sought to extract anything she could write about.

For a second she felt sorry for the poor guy.

But better him than any of us though

It was a little weird though that the reporter had not tried to speak to her, or any of the other champions from the look of things. She would have thought the first target should be the ones that were chosen properly, and actually had a chance of winning.

'I think it is time the ceremony began.' Albus Dumbledore soon entered the room and, as he always did, commanded its attention with a gentle, aged authority. He gestured very politely at the wall that was least in the way of proceedings. 'If you'd be so kind as to release our youngest champion, Rita.'

'Of course, headmaster,' she smiled victoriously.

'Let me introduce you all to Mr. Garrick Ollivander, Britain's finest wand-maker.' Dumbledore stepped aside,

Mr. Olivander was a tall, thin man. He had odd, silver eyes that shone brightly out from underneath a wrinkled brow as he peered curiously at each of the room's occupants

He did not look like Isaac at all...

'Ladies first, perhaps,' he suggested softly.

Fleur would have preferred to go last but stepped forward regardless.

She handed him her wand, perfectly polished and waited for his response

"Hmm..." he said.

He twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it close to his eyes and examined it carefully.

"Yes," he said quietly, "nine and a half inches. . . inflexible.. rosewood.. . and containing. . . dear me. . ."

"An 'air from ze 'ead of a veela," said Fleur. "It was from my grandmuzzer's."

"Yes," said Mr. Ollivander, "yes, I've never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands...however, to each his own, and if this suits you.."

Mr. Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then he muttered, "Orchideous!" and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip.

"Very well, very well, it's in fine working order," said Mr. Ollivander, scooping up the flowers and handing them to Fleur with her wand.

Glad that her part in the ceremony was done she retreated back next to her headmistress,

'Mr. Krum,' Ollivander beckoned. The dark, surly Bulgarian slid off the wall and strode to the center of the room.

Krum proffered his wand stiffly to the silver-haired man, stepping back while the wand-maker examined it.

'Hornbeam, ten and one-quarter inches, thicker than one usually sees, and quite rigid.' Krum nodded, eyeing the wand rather protectively.

'This is a creation of Gregorovitch,' Ollivander mused. 'Judging by your age it must have been one of his last.'

'It was,' Durmstrang's champion replied, in a thick, eastern European accent.

'A fine crafter of wands, Mykew Gregorovitch, with a knowledge of wand lore second to none.' Ollivander swept the hornbeam wand into the air. 'Avis,' he commanded.

A small flock of white birds, adorned with green and red bands across their wings flitted into the rafters of the room, chirping excitedly. 'Excellent,' the wand-maker, enthused.

And then it was the Hogwarts Champions turns.

First, it was for Cedric Diggory.

"Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it?" said Mr. Ollivander, with much more enthusiasm, as Cedric handed over his wand. "Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn. . . must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches. . . ash. . . pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition...You treat it regularly?"

"Polished it last night," said Cedric, grinning.

'And Mr. Potter.' At the boy's name, the man smiled more widely than Fleur had yet seen.

Hogwarts additional, unofficial extra stepped up, his wand sliding smoothly from his sleeve before he passed it into the long-fingered hands of Ollivander.

Mr. Ollivander spent much longer examining Max Potters wand than anyone else's. Eventually, however, he made a fountain of wine shoot out of it, and handed it back to Max, announcing that it was still in perfect condition.

"Thank you all," said Dumbledore, standing up at the judges' table. "You may go back to your lessons now - or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end -"

Fleur got up to leave, but the man with the black camera jumped up and cleared his throat.

"Photos, Dumbledore, photos!" cried Bagman excitedly. "All the judges and champions, what do you think, Rita?"

"Er - yes, let's do those first," said Rita Skeeter, "And then perhaps some individual shots."

The photographs took a long time. Madame Maxime cast everyone else into shadow wherever she stood, and the photographer couldn't stand far enough back to get her into the frame; eventually, she had to sit while everyone else stood around her. Karkaroff kept twirling his goatee around his finger to give it an extra curl; Krum, whom Fleur would have thought would have been used to this sort of thing, skulked, half-hidden, at the back of the group. The photographer seemed keenest to get Fleur at the front, but Rita Skeeter kept hurrying forward and dragging Max into greater prominence. Then she insisted on separate shots of all the champions. At last, they were free to go.

'Come with me Fleur,' her headmistress instructed, leading her down towards the carriage. 'I trust you were paying attention to the ceremony, there was much to be learned about your rivals from it.'

'I was,' Fleur assured her.

'What did you deduce?'

'Cedric Diggory is steadfast, hard-working and honest, but while he is gifted he does not seem an exceptionally powerful wizard. Viktor Krum is powerful, stubborn and unyielding. He will be my fiercest competition.'

'Perceptive as always,' Madam Maxime complimented. 'I believe you are right about Hogwarts' original champion. Krum, though, has hidden depths and, judging by the spell Ollivander performed, excels in the air.'

'He is a quidditch seeker for his country,' Fleur told her headmistress, surprised she did not know already. Madame Maxime nodded

' She drew Fleur to one side of the path.

'The other champions will soon, if they haven't already, be told about the first task. This is to be expected.'

'Will I?' Fleur asked hesitantly.

'Of course,' Madame Maxime exclaimed. 'I am… stretching, the boundaries a little, but we are going to go get a glimpse of it now. Follow me, Fleur.'

Her headmistress bypassed the carriage and walked into the edge of the woods that bordered the school. Fleur grimaced and carefully followed her headmistress through the mud. She did not know where they were going but she was not wearing the proper shoes for getting in the mud.

Madame Maxime kept going, clearly aware of where she was heading, and the trees grew thicker around them. The forest was a dark place. It was named the Forbidden Forest to keep out students of all ages and a host of rumors surrounded it. She had been here long enough to hear a few of them, mostly in relation to where the tournament might take place. Acromantula, werewolves, centaurs, giants and worse were supposed to have the place their home. Walking among the dark pines she couldn't help but agree with those that thought the place a fitting home.

Is the task taking place out here? Fleur wondered. She couldn't say the idea filled her with enthusiasm. It was dark, cold and damp. Fleur liked none of those things

A light, a wavering, reddish-orange glow appeared up ahead and Madame Maxime drew her to one side again. 'As it is a little unusual for me to take you here you should cast a disillusionment charm.

Fleur cast it quickly.

'Good,' her headmistress nodded, 'Follow me.'

Soon they entered some sort of clearing.

The hot wind caused Fleur to sweat horribly but she could not miss the four, massive cages that dominated the forest.

Fleur could easily recognize what was trapped within them.

Dragons.

"Merde" She swore.

That was going to complicate things a little bit.


	68. Chapter 67

Chapter 67

November 24th, 1994

Hogwarts

When Fleur reached the arena it was fairly obvious where she was meant to go. The large, white tent with all the reporters and headteachers outside. spoke volumes.

Rather than squeeze past them all, She just decided to slip in through the side entrance for the champions.

All three of the other champions were there. Cedric looked pale but determined, Krum was brooding, as he often seemed to be, frowning at one of the tent poles and Potter was looking rather sickly.

'You're all here,' Bagman boomed enthusiastically. He was trailed by a stern looking Mr. Crouch and his loyal lapdog, Percy Weasley.

'Stick your hand in the bag to draw out your opponent,' Mr. Crouch instructed tersely. 'Your task will be to retrieve the golden egg.'

'You first, Mr. Diggory.' Bagman clapped him firmly on the back.

Cedric dipped his hand into the bag rather gingerly. It came out clutching a short-faced, silvery-blue dragon, that twisted and hissed in his palm. He didn't look too surprised to be holding a small model dragon.

Diggory got the Swedish Short-Snout

'And you, Mr. Krum.'

The Bulgarian seeker stomped across and all but snatched his dragon from the proffered back. He'd ended up with a red, bulging-eyed creature that prowled along the length of his palm, snorting small bursts of fire and stretching its bright crimson wings.

Krum got the Chinese Fireball

'Miss Delacour.'

Fleur felt a hint of worry as she reached into the bag hoping that she did not get the worst of them all but when her fist came out clutching the Welsh Green she felt better.

That left the worst dragon of them all for the youngest champion.

Percy turned and thrust the bag rather rudely. 'Potter,' he said coldly.

Shaking Potter brought out a dragon that was as black as her wand, covered in jagged scales and spines, serpent-like and quite angry.

Tough Luck.

'So Mr. Diggory gets the Swedish Short-Snout, Mr. Krum the Chinese Fireball, Miss Delacour the Welsh Green and Mr. Potter has the Hungarian Horntail.' Ludo Bagman was clearly very excited for everything to start.

'We will proceed in that order,' Mr. Crouch added wearily. He didn't seem too happy with his fellow organizer. 'At the sound of the cannon you need only go through the entrance and the task will have begun.'

There was a dull boom in the background.

'I guess that means you're out of preparation time, Cedric,' Bagman said cheerfully.

Cedric hurried out through the tent entrance. Ludo Bagman, Crouch and Percy slipped out through the side of the tent, both of the main organizers were judges and needed to be present.

Fleur sat down in a chair to focus herself.

Ever since figuring out what the first task was she had trained hard with Harry on various ways to stay alive.

The strategy they had eventually decided on was to use a combination of singing and charms to lull her dragon into a trance.

She had practiced multiple times with Harry.

Of course, that had the unfortunate side effect of nocking her boyfriend out quite often.

But their practice had been quite successful and she felt ready for what laid ahead.

The cannon boomed once more and Krum straightened up. Discarding his model, he gave Fleur and Potter a nod, then vanished out into the entrance.

The tent was engulfed in nervous silence.

Soon the cannon rang signaling it was her turn.

She looked at the locket currently held to her neck by a sticking charm.

On the front of the locket, she had gotten a picture of Harry to place in the center.

He had a photo of her in his locket as well.

Looking down at the paper Harrys face she kissed it.

"Give me strength Arry" She whispered softly as she rose to head out...

The pit was all a black colored stone. She could see her dragon in front of her and she quickly hid behind a stone to avoid the flames. She glanced around and could see everyone watching her, the stands were within range of the flames of the beast so they must have some enchantment.

Fleur took in a slow breath and then relaxed herself, she pressed her wand to her lips, she started to sing softly

_On va s'aimer, à toucher le ciel _

_Se séparer, à brûler nos ailes _

_Se retrouver comme les hirondelles _

_On va s'aimer, tellement tu es belle _

_On va jeter les clés d'la maison _

_On va rêver à d'autres saisons _

_On va quitter ces murs de prison _

_On va s'aimer _

_Sur une étoile, ou sur un oreiller _

_Au fond d'un train, ou dans un vieux grenier _

_Je veux découvrir ton visage où l'amour est né _

_On va s'aimer _

_Dans un avion, sur le pont d'un bateau _

_On va s'aimer, à se brûler la peau _

_À s'envoler, toujours, toujours plus haut _

_Où l'amour est beau _

_On va s'aimer, aux marches _

_des églises _

_Se réchauffer au cœur des banquises _

_Se murmurer toutes ces bêtises _

_On va s'aimer, j'aime que tu dises _

_On va partir au bout d'une île _

_Pour découvrir l'habit fragile _

_Se découvrir, amoureux encore_

She was confident that the beast would lull off now. She was correct, the beast started to relax halfway through and then it was snoring, breathing a small flame out of its mouth with each exhale. Glancing around she noticed a large number of students and visitors were also asleep.

Oh well.

Without wasting her time she sprinted across the field jumping over stones.

She yelped as a spare breath of fire by the sleeping dragon caught on her skirt.

"Aguamenti," She said quickly extinguishing the fire.

Quickly she grabbed the egg and took off for the exit. Turning around she walked to the healer.

The Matron looked her over silently "You seem all right, few spots of dirt, ash, and sweat but nothing a good shower can't fix." She said waving her off.

Fleur returned to the arena to get her points for the task, Dumbledore gave her an 8, Maxine a 10, Karkaroff a 6, Bagman gave her an 8 and Crouch a 9. While she knew if she performed more magic she would have gotten more points. 41 out of still respectable.

And then she went back to the tent to wait for Potter to finish with his task.

'What did you get?' Krum asked when she stepped through the tent flap.

'Forty-one points ' Fleur informed him.

'You have the same score as me,' Krum nodded. 'Well done. I did not expect it, but it is good to have competition.'

'I did the worst so far,' Cedric looked miserable, but the left side of his body was normal again.

'It's ok were just on the first task,' Fleur reminded them.

Soon a bloody and bruised Potter came in shortly followed by the others.

"Well done, all of you!" said Ludo Bagman, bouncing into the tent and looking as pleased as though he just had to face a bleeding dragon himself. "Now, just a quick few words. You've got a nice long break before the second task, which will take place at half past nine on the morning of February the twenty-fourth — but we're giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look down at those golden eggs you're all holding, you will see that they open . . . see the hinges there? You need to solve the clue inside the egg — because it will tell you what the second task is and enable you to prepare for it! All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then!"

Hurrying out of the tent she looked for her friends.

Oh my.

Harry was standing with Cosette, Julie, Catherine, and Joseph.

They where all wearing Beaubatonx blue to support her.

The crazy part was that they had the letter on each of their outfits.

Fleur felt a blush go over her face.

"Guys" She put her head in her hands before laughing "What are you all wearing"

Cosette smirked "We decided to cheer you on Fleur," She said.

"It was Harry's idea anyway," Julie told her.

Looking at her boyfriend she saw Harry break out in a smile.

She leaned in and kissed him.

"Good job Fleur" He chuckled "In this case practice really made perfect".

Fleur noticed that everyone seemed a little bit drowsy but happy none the less.

"Let's celebrate" Joe cried out.

Fleur smiled and followed the group to the Great Hall.

She felt content just walking linking arms with her boyfriend.

"You remember when I asked about an afterparty" Fleur murmured to him.

Harry nodded "Yes I have some nice things planned for tonight" He whispered.

Fleur shivered.

"I can't wait" She purred.

**Author Note** Throughout the rest of this year until probably the end of the third task I will be writing the chapters from Fleurs perspective.

Figure it would be appropriate considering she is the one participating in the Tournament.


	69. Chapter 68

Chapter 68

December 1st, 1994

Hogwarts

Fleur looked over her silk dress and checked herself before going out for the day.

It was a week after the first task and they had decided to go down to Hogsmeade together on a date.

Exiting the Beaubatonx Carriage she saw her boyfriend waiting for her.

Smiling she kissed him.

"Morning Fleur," He said "You ready to go"

"Oui" She beamed and slipped her arm through his.

'So where are we going?' Fleur asked.

'Let's go to the Three Broomsticks,' He suggested,

They walked to the restaurant in a content silence enjoying the presence of each other.

Fleur was feeling like she would like a drink.

Ever since the First Task had ended and with there being three months until the second she wanted to do more with Harry.

Immediately after the task had ended they had had a great night of sex.

But now they wanted to spend some normal time on a date together.

And she wanted a drink.

The pub was quite busy at the moment and Fleur instinctively shifted a little closer to Harry and the reassuring warmth that seemed to emanate from him.

Soon they got a table and Harry went to order for them.

'I got Firewhiskey,' Harry grinned as he returned to the table with a large bottle.

'Perfect thank you Arry" Fleur said pouring herself a glass.

Fleur did not even hesitate. She lined up the glass and drank it in one gulp.

'That is a very British way to drink wine,' Harry smirked, 'your mother would be horrified.'

Fleur poured herself a second, more modest glass, and sipped it in a more befitting manner. 'Happy now?' She asked archly.

Harry raised the glass to his lips and emulated his date in drinking the entire thing in a single gulp.

"Now I'm happy," He said grinning.

"You just drank in the exact same way I did Mr. Potter," Fleur said pointing her finger at him.

Harry chuckled "Why yes but I am English may you not forget darling"

Fleur felt herself heat up but decided to continue having fun "Give me another Arry I think I can out beat your dormmates drinking record".

"Oh is that a bet now," Harry said smirking before refilling her glass "Than challenge accepted Mrs. Delcour".

They were in for a long night.

XXXXXXX

Well, she ended up losing their little drinking game to her everlasting disappointment.

But they sure had a lot of fun.

Although the ensuring hangover was a real pain in the ass to deal with the following day.

Mostly finished with the celebrations on surviving the first task she then realized something.

She was still a champion in the Triwizard Tournament, and she hadn't been preparing very well for the upcoming second task. True, it would be in a couple of months and she had been training hard with Harry, but combat spells would not be enough if she didn't know what she would be facing up next.

The only clue as to what the second task would entail was hidden away in the obnoxious golden egg she had locked away after a heavy screeching greeted her after being opened.

It was time to really start to prepare for the task and use the three months wisely.

Harry and Fleur were sure that Cedric, Krum, and Potter were already trying to crack open the code of the golden egg, and whether they had been successful, neither of them knew. One thing was certain though: the first one to find out the secrets of the egg would be the one with the most advantage in the next task.

Later on, during the week they were trying to figure out the egg while having a picnic by the great lake.

Unfortunately, a slip up ended up with the egg plopping into the shallow end of the great lake.

"This fucking thing, I swear." Fleur lazily worked to pick up the shining object but before she pulled it out she noticed something strange.

The delicate engravings that had at one point seemed like another pattern in the egg started to glimmer brightly upon coming into contact with the water. For once the dull gold of the object started to change in a way she had not seen before.

The code had been broken

"Water!" Fleur exclaimed excitedly.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked,

"Come look!"

Fleur felt her boyfriend come up behind her. "What is it?"

"I think we need to open it when the egg is underwater," Harry said finally. "You could listen to it in the water"

Looking at the water of the Great Lake she felt nervous "This seems like a bad place to listen to the egg don't you 'ave access to a bigger bathroom?" Fleur asked.."

Harry thought for a second and grinned at her. "Yeah the perfects bathroom, go grab your bathing suit and come meet me on the fifth floor."

"What kind of bathing suit?" Fleur asked saucily.

Harry kissed her softly. "I'll leave that up to you, beautiful," he whispered

Fleur shivered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sorry for being late, mon chéri," said Fleur tiredly. "Madame Maxime wanted to talk and she kept me for more time zan I expected." She went over to him and kissed him. "Mon dieu! It's so cold outside. I want to stay in bed all weekend and keep ze fire going as high as possible."

"I'm sure the showers will be piping hot," responded Harry before kissing her again. "Did you bring your egg?"

"Of course. Let's go in now. I'm frozen to ze bones!"

Harry led the way over to the door leading to the baths. that itself was almost concealed by the statue of "Boris

"Pine Fresh!" Harry said with a commanding voice, and the door opened wide.

It was one of the most lavish baths Fleur had ever seen by far. The entire place was pure white marble, cleaned to a sparkling shine, lit by a luxurious chandelier filled with candles, which gave a dim and relaxing light to the room.

The bathing area itself almost resembled the Olympic Swimming Pool she had seen when they had gone to view the muggle Olympics in Albertville two years ago. There was even a diving board! Around it, there were dozens of taps, each with a differently colored jewel. On the far wall, there was a portrait of a pretty mermaid treating her hair delicately.

Harry pointed over to one of the changing rooms. "Get dressed while I prepare the bath."

As Fleur undressed she hoped that Harry would like her decision.

She stepped out of the stall completely naked.

Skinny Dipping had always been an interest of hers.

Harry's eyes went wide when he saw her.

Despite the fact that they had already seen each other naked when in France she felt proud that she was still able to stir up that type of reaction in her boyfriend.

"Hello Arry" She called out "I hope you don't mind if I wanted to go skinny dipping today do you".

He shook his head most likely to clear his thoughts "Yes" He exclaimed before lowering his tone "Yes, of course, I don't mind"

Fleur giggled as she stepped into the bath, sighing as the hot water covered her entire body. She immediately went over to him until and sat beside him but that immediately changed when she decided to find a better seat in his lap.

His eyes widened.

"You know Arry we have had sex now and I don't really mind you looking at my body if you want or if you want to do a bit more"

Harry then sought out Fleur's lips, caressing her wet hair as his ravenous mouth met hers. She decided to go further than him by feeling his body with her own. Harry moaned as she pushed her breasts into his chest.

So for the moment, they did not get around to listening to the Egg.

But they had all of the time in the world.

**Author Note** Well you know both Harry and Fleur are 17 now.

And I decided to show a bit of what teenagers their age can tend to do at times and something that not a lot of people talk about when referencing characters in the wizarding world.

Drinking.


	70. Chapter 69

Chapter 69

December 15th, 1994

Hogwarts

They finally got around to looking at the egg after a few hours of sex.

Picking up the egg she opened it and dropped it in the water. The screaming cut out instantly and Fleur could just make out the sound of singing.

Diving under the water she listened to the message.

Harry then conjured a notepad where she told him the words to write down as she listened.

At the end, they looked at what it had to say.

Come seek us where our voices sound,

We cannot sing above the ground,

And while you're searching ponder this;

We've taken what you'll sorely miss,

An hour long you'll have to look,

And to recover what we took,

But past an hour, the prospect's black,

Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.

Fleur did not like the sound of any of it.

The first line alone was enough for concern. Merpeople could only be heard underwater and that meant the second task would be taking place there. As a veela, she was weakened in such an environment. It was not a drastic reaction, but her magic would be sluggish in the cold, and less powerful in the wet, just as it was ever so slightly quicker and stronger in a hot and dry setting. There was nothing she could do about her natural aversion to the wet and the cold. Hopefully, it would not be noticeable to the judges.

Sure she could swim in the water but there was a thing that swimming at the surface is much different than swimming into the depths and facing whatever challenges she might have to face.

The rest of the song was every bit as worrying. It was obvious that the Merpeople would either be given or would take something precious to her. Fleur did not really consider many things as particularly precious, but those she did she was very attached to.

Sorely miss will not do it justice.

She trusted that her father would prevent anything from happening to those she loved.

That just left finding a way to survive underwater for an hour.

Harry was also looking at the message.

"I think the Second Task will be in the Great Lake then due to its size," he said.

"Oui" Fleur agreed with him, "I believe that Cosette said something about Merpeople being in the lake as well."

Harry nodded as they tried thinking of ways to proceed.

Fleur could think of several ways that the task could be achieved. The most obvious, but also the most difficult was self-transfiguration. She was better than most at transfiguration but averse to the idea.

She decided that she would opt for a more simple, elegant approach. The bubble-head charm could be held for an hour with ease, but it left her vulnerable. If anything burst the bubble she would not be able to recast it underwater without an air source. Some adaptation of the charm or a contingency plan was needed as it seemed unlikely the Merpeople would just give back what they had once she found them.

"How much do you know about the Bubble-Head Charm," Harry asked.

"That is exactly what I was thinking about," Fleur said before replying to the question.

"I believe it traps a considerable amount of compressed air within a bubble around your nose and mouth of the caster and it allows breathing underwater or in areas of high altitude"

Harry nodded.

"Yeah Professor Flitwick told us that the more magic you put into the spell the larger the bubble and the more air you would have to breathe"

"I don't know of any way of protecting the bubble itself though. If it were to burst I would need to have a contingency plan. If I would want to recast the spell it would require a considerable amount of air, something I don't think I would be able to find once the task starts" Fleur said.

"Perhaps you can take the air with you".Harry suggested.

"How so," Fleur asked.

You can take an airtight container of some sort, a bag, or a box of air that is large enough to contain enough air for an hour underwater and shrink it and you can summon it to take with you once the task starts" He explained.

Fleur thought about that for a second.

"That's a good idea," She said.

"You want to practice a bit," Harry asked.

Fleur nodded and turned her wand on herself before casting the spell and diving underwater.

"Capitis Leporem"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The word about the Yule Ball was soon finally released. Some of the Beauxbatons students had just found out about the Yule Ball and every one of them was super excited.

That had been one of the details that Sebastian had not told them about the whole tournament.

Shortly after Madame Maxime pulled her aside from everyone else.

After Madame Maxime had waited on the rest of the delegation to leave the room she started talking to Fleur 'Fleur, I just wanted to inform you of the tradition where the champions and their partners open the ball.'

She continued, `` You are our champion, and you will do what is expected of you as a representative of the school. So I suggest you make sure you get yourself a partner as soon as possible.

Fleurs head was racing but she nonetheless replied to her headmaster "Oui I understand Madame"

Her eyes sparkled "Good now on your way you go"

As Fleur left the room she realized that she needed to find Harry as soon as possible.

XXXXXXXXXX

Eventually, she found Harry resting by the tree that they had taken recently to visiting by the Great Lake.

He looked up most likely feeling her approach.

"Hey," Harry said and scooted over to allow her room to sit down.

"How are you doing" Fleur asked.

"Fine" Harry shrugged "We all just got done meeting with Professor Flitwick"

"What did he have to talk about" Fleur quired.

"The Yule Ball" Harry replied "Bloody useless I would rather not go"

"Well," Fleur said not sure how to proceed "You know how I'm a Triwizard Champion".

"Yeah," Harry said.

"Well Madame Maxime said that as a champion I am expected to help open the dance"

Harry's eyes widened.

"So" Fleur began "Since your the only one I feel comfortable with will you go with me to the Yule Ball mon amour"

"Sure" Harry replied, "If it's to help you out".

Fleur kissed her boyfriend on the lips.

"Thank you" She breathed "That will make these next two weeks so much better"

"Of Course" Harry smiled "I'm always glad to help".

As they lay by the lake Fleur laid her head on Harry's shoulder and he put his arm around her waist.

This tournament was definitely interesting and at times a little bit crazy.

But as she was with her boyfriend all of those emotions just seemed to melt away.

**Author Note** I was thinking after I finished this series on writing a story that is basically a repeat of this storyline and where neither Harry or Fleur become champions.

It's a perspective on the Triwizard Tournament that I can never seem to find a story on.

Thoughts?


	71. Chapter 70

Chapter 70

December 25th, 1994

Hogwarts

_Dear Gabby_

_The Christmas decorations have already been put up in the castle. They are nothing like the sophisticated ones we have at Beauxbatons, but they are quite nice in a simple and old-fashioned way. And the never-melting icicles on the banisters are really a nuisance, as they are icy cold to the touch. I asked Arry why nobody has thought of a spell to make them feel warm and he could not give me an answer. The twelve enormous Christmas trees in the Great Hall are quite a sight to see, although the constant hooting of the golden owls that are in them can get on your nerves. Some of the suits of armor have been bewitched to sing Christmas songs, but in a weird way considering, none of them seem to be able to really sing the complete text. Maxime would never tolerate anything like this. _

_There is already a very thick layer of snow in the grounds. We have to walk up to the castle in specially carved tunnel-like paths, it's bitterly cold, and the daylight period is awfully short. The castle's house-elves are only cooking typical English food, heavy stews, fat puddings and pies filled with things I don't even want to know about. I don't know why they have stopped doing at least one or two French dishes as they used to at the beginning of our stay._

_Closettes puppy Briard has curled up in my lap while I'm writing this_

_Its Two o'clock in the morning – I really should go to bed…_

_I hope you are having a good Christmas time and I can't wait to see you in February._

_Your loving sister._

_Fleur_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In contrast to the Brittish, the students of Beauxbatons decided to give and look at their presents the night before Christmas.

Madame Maxime had the Beatbox house-elves make a gorgeous French dinner, and she even allowed one glass of Bordeaux Grand Cru. She was, for her, in an almost sentimental mood.

"I know it's hard to be away from home at this time of year," Madame Maxime told us. "And you would all love to be at home with your families " (Fleur was actually in two minds about this: On the one hand, She would really love to see Gabrielle again, but on the other, She really liked being with Arry and her friends) "But we have to stay for the ball, of course. It only takes place together with a Tournament, and therefore it is a social event of a lifetime that is not to be missed, as nobody knows when or if the next Tournament will be. I am sure you will put up with this inconvenience, and I hope you will enjoy the ball tomorrow."

Shortly after we went through the rest of the gift pile where I got a very sweet present from Cosette, a pair of wool gloves that she has treated with a warming charm. "So you won't have cold hands to complain about anymore," her note that came with the parcel told me.

Appoline gave a most remarkable gift: A beautiful moonstone, the color of her eyes, on a delicate silver chain. "For my beloved daughter, to look her very best at the ball," the picture said.

She recognized Harry's gift instantly.

Gillyweed.

It was a way to breathe under the lake that they had been trying to get their hands on for weeks.

Harry was apparently able to find some though.

Daniele and Julie gave me the usual assorted sweets and things, nothing too original, to be sure, more a sign of good luck than anything else. Finally, Maxime arranged a small firework display outside the carriage, and we kept looking at the multicolored sparks and flashes for about ten minutes, each of us are busy with their own thoughts.

I'm not even sure myself what those thoughts or feelings were. A mixture of pride at being a champion for my school, dread of what is still to come, happiness, at being with people I can consider my friends.

And a sense of wondering about the future.

They only had six months left of school.

She thus resolved to ask Harry soon the question that had been running through her mind.

Would he be ok with them moving in together?

XXXXXXXXX

Fleur looked in the mirror at her gown of shimmering silver that seemed to shiver around her figure as she walked.

She walked out of the carriage and saw her boyfriend in the distance whom she slipped her arm through.

"Hey," Harry said kissing her,

Fleur moaned.

"It's nice to see you too"

Harry smiled, "You want to head to the dance".

As they walked Fleur realized that Harry in his formal attire was quite good looking himself.

She could not help but slightly blush.

His exercise program these past few years had given him a very handsome figure.

And she was ecstatic to be with him.

Soon they arrived in the Great Hall.

Cedric Diggory was with his girlfriend Cho Chang.

Victor Krum was with someone whom she assumed was his girlfriend from Durmstrang.

And Potter was with his girlfriend Granger if she remembered correctly.

In the front of the room was the woman whom Harry told her was the head of Gryffindor House.

'It is time for the opening dance,' She announced once seeing that all of the champions and their partners had arrived.

Soon all of the couples started dancing once they had reached the center of the room.

When the opening dance finally came to an end both Harry and Fleur were smiling.

'That was not so bad,' Harry decided, following Fleur to the side of the room and the quite surprising range of drinks.

They're serving alcohol at the ball when underage witches and wizards can attend?

'The ball was only supposed to be for students who were seventeen and over,' Harry explained at her puzzled expression. 'When my brother's name came out they had to let younger years attend or he would be all alone for the event.'

'I guess nobody remembered to remove the alcoholic drinks then.' Fleur said.

'Wine?' she offered an expensive looking bottle of elf-made wine in his direction, two crystal glasses already tucked under her arm.

'I might as well,' Harry decided, indicating the wine bottle. They both had quite enjoyed the Firewhiskey.

They found a spot further towards the end of the tables where it was mostly empty. The usual furnishings that had been pushed back against the walls of the Great Hall to make space for the dancing. Once seated Harry helped himself to a wide-ranging selection from the nearby piles of Christmas food. Fleur was pickier though in what she ate, avoiding the heavier meats and potatoes in favor of the sweeter, lighter dishes.

'Hogwarts is a lot different than Beauxbatons,' Fleur told him, sipping her wine, and gazing around the room at the slightly confusing style of decoration.

'I imagine it would be,' Harry replied earnestly.

They both sat and thought.

'Gabby is coming to see the second task,' Fleur said.

Harry nodded "Good I can't wait to see her again"

.'Do you want any?' Fleur asked having leaned across the table to procure a bottle of sweet dessert wine.

"Sure," He said taking a glass.

Fleur began to pour herself a glass, but, midway to tipping the bottle glanced up and caught sight of the nearby wizards who were making eyes at her.

`I hope,' she frowned, 'you will not be insulted if I leave as early as possible.'

'I would be Relieved,' Harry reassured her.

'Can we go to Lake?' she asked.

'I don't see why not,' Harry shrugged

They moved out of the Great Hall and pass the throngs of people until they reached their place by the lake.

"Much Better" Fleur sighed as she relaxed against her boyfriend and remembered her mental decision from a while ago.

"Arry" She started.

"Yes," He asked stroking her hair.

Fleur felt slightly nervous now but was determined to push on.

"You know how we only have a few months left before graduation"

"Yeah" Harry replied.

"Could you help me look through some houses?"She asked.

Harry chuckled "I believe your question is do you want to move in together after school"

"Oui," Fleur said feeling her face heat up.

"Than yes I would love to find a house with you for after school then" Harry finally said.

After processing his reply she reached up and kissed him.

"Thank you" She breathed.

Harry chuckled "I was wondering when you would come out and ask"

They ignored the noise coming from the castle and calmly enjoyed the rest of the night together.

**Author Note** When it comes to my Chapters they are probably not going to be very long on average.

That is just how I work and I would find it incredibly hard to write like a ten thousand word chapter.

Besides, I think the message in each chapter can be done in the length of chapters I do right now.

And there will never be a schedule for when I release chapters.

That process is completely random and depends on when I get done.


	72. Chapter 71

Chapter 71

February 14th, 1995

Hogwarts

"Do you want to go on a date?" Fleur asked Harry.

"What do you have in mind."He asked her "We are kind of trapped in Hogwarts for the next four months"

"Yeah," she began, "I was just thinking that tomorrow is Valentine's day, and we haven't really had like a proper date so I was thinking that we could just make dinner in the chamber study."

"Really? You don't want to try and sneak out and go to a fancy restaurant, or go on any midnight boat rides?"

"Midnight boat rides? In February in London? Zat sounds terrible and we can do that next year."

Harry laughed.

"Okay, maybe I didn't think that one entirely through. Still..."

Fleur shook her head.

"I just want to spend time with you. even doing something simple"

Harry shrugged.

"You know, for a beautiful French woman, you are sometimes remarkably low maintenance."

"Low maintenance what does that mean?"

"It means," Harry paused for a moment. "Never mind"

"No, I'm curious now Arry Potter what do you mean about the French being high maintenance,"She asked.

"Nothing darling,"He said.

"That's what I thought you meant" Fleur huffed "Do you know where the kitchen is so that we can get some food to shrink and take down to the chamber"

"Yes I do" Harry nodded "Elves are really helpful if you need food at short notice"

"Good" Fleur nodded

XXXXXX

As She cooked using the house elf food down in the chamber she looked over at the flowers Harry had brought her, in a vase on the makeshift table they had transfigured.

Fleur was working on a traditional boeuf bourguignon, a warming beef stew with red wine and vegetables. Of course, Harry who had wanted to help in the start would mean it would take about twice as long as usual,

So he had decided to work on Transfiguring the table and chairs that they would be sitting on along with anything else and she would deal with the cooking she had already known how to do for some time.

Never having to cook as a child Harry had never become very good at it and had relied on house elves or Appoline for much of his life so far.

Eventually, she put the meat, broth, and vegetables simmering in the transfigured oven. It had to cook down for a while, and they talked and laughed and enjoyed a wonderful evening together until the food was ready.

Once the meat and broth had been in the oven for about an hour and a half, Her boyfriend wanted to help so Harry (under Fleur's direction) started on the mushrooms.

"Non, non, you must not crowd ze mushrooms!"

He looked up from his frying pan, perplexed.

"What do you mean, crowd them? They're mushrooms, they're not going to get claustrophobic."

"Non-Non Ze mushrooms need room to breathe, you cannot just pile zem all in ze pan together. Like zis."

She reached for the spatula, stirring the mushrooms in the pan so that they were spaced evenly. Harry shook his head, bemused.

"Zey will be more flavorful zis way, you will see."

"If you say so. Should I start the pasta?"

Fleur thought for a moment. The stew was about ready to take out of the oven and put on the stove, the mushrooms could be added in about ten minutes, and the whole thing would need to simmer for another quarter of an hour.

But then again she did not feel that comfortable with him cooking.

"Non I will do it but can you make a pan and fill it with water please." She opened the oven door, and Fleur reached in with oven mitts to lift the pot out, setting it on the range

Harry made a pan out of some Chamber materials and started to fill it with water, while Fleur lifted the lid carefully on the stew. Steam rose from the uncovered pan, along with a delicious aroma of beef, carrots, tomato, and onions with a hint of thyme.

"Mmm, that smells good." Harry leaned over the pot to breathe in the scent.

"Of course it does," Fleur answered haughtily, "I am cooking it."

"Of course it does," Harry agreed, "I helped you with it."

"Don't be silly, you could not even cook ze mushrooms without my assistance." She tried to keep a haughty demeanor but felt the corners of her mouth turning up in spite of it

She then poured a little oil in the pan full of water, starting the stove.

Harry was still pouting.

Fleur reached up to touch his face, running her fingers down Harry's cheek, over his jaw, then down his neck. She felt the contours of his chest through his shirt, feeling the muscles of his stomach and tilting her head up towards him, exposing her neck. He turned into her touch, his hand running down her back to rest on her hip as he brought his face close to hers.

Fleur leaned in to meet his lips and felt his arms wrap around her, lifting her up onto her toes. She opened her mouth slightly, his lips parting in response to her, and reached up to wind her fingers into the roots of his hair, pulling him even closer into her.

They were interrupted by a sudden sizzling sound, as the pot of water for the pasta began to boil over.

"Hold that thought," Fleur muttered, and he reluctantly released her. She slid the pot onto a different burner, tipping a box of noodles into the water and stirring it.

She then tipped the pan of mushrooms into the larger pot. Fleur turned the heat up on the stove so that the stew could come to a boil, then lowered it to a steady simmer. Soon everything was ready, and she strained the pasta and Harry gave her a pair of wide, shallow bowls.

XXXXXXXX

As they sat down at the small table, Harry conjured a candle between them, dimming the lights.

"It is Valentine's day after all. We at least need a candle."

Fleur smiled, cutting a small piece of beef and scooping an onion onto it.

"Oh, that's delicious food "Harry gasped.

Fleur delicately swirled some pasta around her fork and took a bite.

"Of course it is delicious, it is a recipe my mother came up with"

You said you don't like Valentines Day Why? Most girls I know get all excited and mushy on Valentines day

I'm not interested in Valentines Day because anyone that wanted to go on a date they would only just boast or try to impress me. So I have now said no to any requests out of principle now."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't say no to me then," Harry told her.

Fleur gave him a small smile.

"You're different."

"How so?"

She thought over her answer and didn't speak for a moment, taking a bite of carrot instead.

"You never treated me any different," she said at last. "You never stared at me, never tried to ask me out or made lewd comments. You took ze time to get to know me, instead of just judging me by 'ow I look and I really appreciate that."

Harry reached across the table to take her hand. "I'm glad I did take all of the years to truly get to know you."

"As do I Arry, as do i"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was time for the second task.

Fleur could see her mother and sister in the stands rooting her on.

Unfortunately, her father could not be here today due to the rigors of the campaigning season.

But what alarmed her was that she could not see Harry anywhere.

She hoped he was just late.

'Are all the champions here yet, Ludo?' A rather tense sounding and increasingly fierce looking Mr. Crouch demanded.

'Not yet, Barty,' Bagman grinned.

'Right then,' Bagman boomed, clapping his hands together loudly. 'Welcome to the second task of the Triwizard Tournament.'

'Actually, Ludo,' Crouch decided, cutting in, 'if you don't mind, I'll explain.'

'The second task,' the head of the Department of International Cooperation began crisply, 'is upon you. I hope you have discovered the secret of your golden egg or you will be woefully unprepared for what is to come.'

None of the other champions present looked particularly nervous and Fleur wasn't either. She was going to win.

'As the clue states we have taken from you something that you will sorely miss, to clarify, we have taken a hostage that you must recover"

They all stiffened at that and Fleur felt her stomach drop.

'On my whistle,' Mr. Crouch commanded and the champions divested themselves of their robes

The whistle went not a second later.

It was even colder than she had anticipated, but soon it was possible to breathe again.

A few tentative inhales reassured her that the bubble head charm was working as intended

She passed over long light-green weeds that rose up at least several meters from the lake bed. Fleur stayed well above the plants; since nobody in their right mind would risk swimming through there when the open water was so much obviously safer.

Listening closely she soon caught faint echos of Merpeople singing, but couldn't make out the words. Either way, she was definitely getting close.

Fleur swiftly swam on towards the source of the singing. She was sure she could see the outline of buildings in the distance.

The village of the Merpeople was empty, the stone and seaweed dwellings were silent, but a crowd of them had gathered around the ring of standing stones that had been raised just beyond the edge of their huts.

On the poles their where four people tied up.

Cho Chang, Hermione Granger, Victors Girlfriend, and Harry.

He was her hostage to rescue.

She swam up and looked at the rope binding him in place.

There had to be something around here to use to cut the rope easily.

Ah, the stones at the bottom would work.

She picked a stone and began using it to hack Harry away from his restraints.

And then she began to swim them up to the surface of the lake.

Harry gasped once they reached the surface.

"Bloody Hell Fleur thanks for rescuing me," He said.

"No problem" She chattered back "Let's get back to the stage"

Once they arrived they were pulled aside by the Hogwarts Matron.

'Come with me, Miss Delacour, Mr. Potter,' the stern witch ordered, already casting warming charms.

'Drink this,' the nurse commanded them, and thrust the same peppery smelling, pick-me-up potion she had forced down the throats of all the champions after the first task.

Madam Pomfrey was gone out of the tent before Fleur had finished the concoction.

Soon the other champions came into the tent in various states.

'The scores are being announced,' Krum told them, peering out through the flap.

The four champions moved outside to where they could see the judges' stand, leaving the still sleeping hostages in their beds.

Cedric got Forty Four Points

Potter got Forty Points

Krum got Forty-Five Points

And Fleur got Forty-Six.!

She was in the lead now.

Once back inside the tent, she saw her mother, Gabby, and Harry.

"So First Place" Harry grinned "Great Job"

"Indeed a job well done Fleur," Appoline said beaming "Your father sends his well wishes and apologies that he has to be occupied with campaign rallies now".

"It's ok," Fleur told them "I'm just happy everything turned out ok"

"He has said that he plans to be here for the Third Task though," Appoline told them "The Elections will be over by then".

"Good" Fleur nodded.

Author Note This Chapter did have a bit more stuff in it

Yes they Transfigured all of that stuff.

If it's not written down in Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration than it can be transfigured.

Also I also now feel very hungry after writing this.

Thanks for reading


	73. Chapter 72

Chapter 72

June 24th, 1995

Hogwarts

Someone had ruined the quidditch pitch Fleur guessed in relation to the Triwizard Tournament.

She had tried mapping the hedges with Harry's help earlier to get an advantage, but the moment she had put quill to parchment they had shifted and moved. Someone had clearly anticipated a champion trying to plan a route through before the task began.

'All our champions are here,' Bagman boomed. 'That means it's almost time to begin.'

Upon seeing everyone looking at him Bagman began explaining the task "'Not more than a few minutes ago my assistant and I, accompanied by Alastor Moody, placed the Triwizard Trophy at the center of the maze. The first one to retrieve it wins,' the former-beater stated simply. 'If you wish to withdraw you need only send up red sparks from your wand.'

'What about the points?' Cedric demanded, eagerly. He was last and had the most to gain if the points now turned out to be useless.

'Miss Delcour will enter first, as she has the most points, and for every point, the next champion is behind him ten seconds will be lost.' Cedric frowned. He was more than a minute behind her.

'Is there anything we should know about the maze?' Fleur asked seriously. She was eyeing the hedges with a certain level of suspicion.

'I can't tell you anything that might help you,' Bagman shrugged. He seemed rather glad that he couldn't answer Fleur's question

'Well I suppose that's really all there is to it,' Bagman grinned. 'Mrs. Delcour…'

Fleur breathed in and leaned forward a little further.

A shrill whistle blew and she ran into the center of the maze.

It was dark. The hedges looked a whole lot taller from within, twenty feet seemed a lot more like twenty meters, as the definitely-no-longer-knee-high walls towered over either side of her as she ran.

The path seemed to follow a gentle curve along what was likely to be the edge of the maze. Fleur frowned and resolved to take the next left in towards the center, he needed to get at least three hedges between himself and the edge as quickly as he could.

She ran full tilt into something very hard and bounced off into the hedge.

The walls of the maze shivered and Fleur was sure he could hear the leaves whispering, but that all faded out of her mind when the original obstacle turned to face her, clicking its pincers menacingly.

This is the creature that Harry told me their groundskeeper was raising.

Fleur swore viciously and raised her wand, watching it rise up in each of the eight, almost life-size reflections of herself.

'Osassula,' she hissed, flicking her wand in an inverted c shape.

Her bone-splintering curse missed its original target off the spider's carapace, but it struck one of the legs instead, shattering it, and the acromantula stumbled, screeching in pain.

Fleur then fired off two more, crippling two more legs on the same side before the spider collapsed.

Fleur walked through the maze, taking various lefts and rights, and finding more and more dead ends. Suddenly, a vine lashed at her left foot.

She dropped to the grassy ground and saw that the vine was pulling her more and more toward the wall of the maze, where more and more vines were emerging from and wrapping around her legs. Fleur panicked. She took out her wand, she did not know what spell to throw at it since She had never seen this kind of plant before. She knew she had to think fast.

"Reducto!" Fleur screamed, her words disappearing into the stillness of the maze.

The red light hit the plant, and it withdrew its tendrils and disappeared. Fleur got up and fixed her hair. This was going to be harder than she thought. She turned around and walked the other way, brushing the leaves and dirt off her clothes. She suddenly felt a sting of pain on her left leg. She pulled her pant leg up and saw deep gashes on her leg where the thorny tendrils had wrapped around her. She winced, but she tried to ignore the pain. She started limping. I can't go on like this, she thought. Disregarding the pain, she walked as straight as possible.

It had been fifteen minutes since she entered the maze, and Fleur knew she was nowhere near the cup. Beauxbatons was depending on her and she needed to get orientated with her surroundings.

Soon she ran into a Sphynx.

I'd like to go through,' Fleur told it as she approached

'I can see that,' it laughed, in a beautiful, voice. 'You still have to answer the riddle, or you can try to force your way through.'

Fleur suspected trying to fight a sphinx would be a very bad idea.

'The riddle,' she decided.

'The man who built it doesn't want it. The man who bought it doesn't need it. The man who needs it doesn't know it. What is it?' The sphinx's enigmatic smile seemed to darken into something slightly morbid.

'How many guesses do I get?' Fleur asked warily.

'A good question to ask,' the Sphinx told him, its smile widening. 'you have three

And then she tried to think about the clue.

What do we make that we don't want?

There were so many things that they made and didn't want. 'I don't suppose you give hints?'

The sphinx smiled more widely and shook its head.

Suddenly the answer was there, in her head and she almost gasped with relief.

'A coffin,' she answered confidently.

The Sphinx then allowed her to pass.

It was only a few moments later when she heard heavy footfalls up ahead.

Fleur immediately disillusioned herself.

Some horrific cross between a scorpion and a lobster was prowling along the path. It was a slimy nightmare of a creature.

A shower of sparks shot from forth from its end and it propelled forwards into the hedge, flailing its stinger wildly.

She made a split second decision that avoiding it was better than trying to fight something she knew nothing about and cast a noise suppression charm upon herself.

The creature was still thrashing about in the wall of the maze, stinging the hedge furiously and expelling gouts of spars as it drove itself deeper into the wall.

Fleur sprinted past it silently and invisibly, trusting the charms to conceal her from the monster and hoping it's disgusting, fishy stench was a sign it had a very bad sense of smell and would not notice her.

'Point me,' she whispered very quietly so as not to agitate the thing that was still wrestling with the maze wall only a few meters behind her.

Her wand swirled to point down the left fork

She made it twenty more steps before coming across her next obstacle. A boggart.

It turned to face her immediately, despite the fact she was both invisible and moving silently.

'Expecto Patronum,' Fleur said, focusing on her happiest memory and not even waiting for the creature to change shape. Unfortunately, Her disillusionment charm and muffling spell both failed as her concentration was diverted to the Patronus.

A noise from behind her alerted her to something.

She turned around and saw a figure in the darkness.

It was the Hogwarts teacher, the one with the glass eye. She stared at him for a moment, about to ask him what in the world he was doing, when he raised his wand.

Fleur started screaming, but the spell caught her after a few seconds.

"Stupefy!"

She woke up in what she realized was the hospital tent with a splitting headache.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her parents and Harry come over to see her.

"Are you okay, Fleur?" Appoline asked, brushing her curls away from her face.

Fleur instead leaned toward her mother and cried. Her parents just sat there, giving her soft words of encouragement,

"What happened Fleur," Sebastian asked "We just saw sparks fly up and found you stunned on the ground"

Fleur gasped "The Ogwarts Professor with the eye he attacked me"

Sebastian stiffened "What do you mean attacked you," He asked keeping his voice calm but still full of the steel that made him an astute politician and fierce warrior.

"I got past the Sphynx and he just stunned me" She gasped.

Sebastian whispered in Appolines ear and then turned to Fleur "I'm going to try and get to the bottom of this" He said gravely.

Fleur nodded.

Soon she saw the Durmstrang Champion Victor Krum carried in a stretcher.

He looked horrible.

She also saw her Headmistress who had probably stopped in for a word.

"Did I fail terribly, Madam Maxime?" Fleur asked, eyes a bit red from the crying.

"You did great, Fleur," Madam Maxime smiled. "You did ze best."

"But I didn't win," Fleur said slowly. "I didn't win for Beauxbatons."

"Winning isn't everything," Madam Maxime said. "I am sure you 'ave 'eard of zat."

"Neither of the Hogwarts Champions are in the maze anymore," She said bluntly "The Aurors are doing their best to tear down the maze but its a slow process"

Harry perked up "Fire," He asked.

"Oui" Madame Maxime replied "They are trying to use Fyndfyre to tear down the maze"

"I know Fyndfyre I could help out," Harry told her.

"I don't know" Maxime looked pensive "Go ask Sebastian and maybe he would have something"

Harry left the tent.

Eventually, after about half an hour Fleur getting impatient was able to get of bed and get back out to the maze to see what was going on.

Wizards and Witches from all three of their nations where doing all that they could to tear down the maze.

She saw Harry off in the distance casting fire from his wand at the maze.

And then, there was a flash, and Potter was face down on the ground, with Cedric and the cup. Realizing quickly that Cedric seemed to be unconscious,

Something was very wrong.

She took a step forward and realized that Potter was crying. Dumbledore and a few others were approaching Max. Fleur stepped closer to the circle of Ministry Staff.

"He's dead," she heard Cornelius Fudge, the Minister Of Magic, whisper.

Fleur stepped back out of surprise. She saw Cedric's lifeless gray eyes and gasped. She sank to the ground, and she felt the tears form in her eyes. Cedric Diggory, dead? But how on earth could he be dead? She felt her head spinning.

Cedric's father rushed to the scene, pushing away people, to lie beside his son.

She felt Harry come up from behind her and stare at the ground in disbelief.

Her father also upon seeing Cedric's body turned pale but he for the first time in her memory started to shake upon the next words to come out of Max Potters Mouth.

"He's back Voldermorts back"

**The Second Wizarding War has begun**


	74. Chapter 73

Chapter 73

June 30th, 1995

Hogwarts

The next week flew by quicker than any of Harry's previous weeks at Hogwarts had.

The possibility of the specter of Voldemort's return and Cedric Diggory's Death cast a shadow over their graduation ceremony.

Instead of an end of the year feast, Dumbledore gathered all of the students of the three schools to address the recent events.

He sat with Fleur and his friends at the Ravenclaw Table.

The Headmaster soon began to speak.

The end," said Dumbledore, looking around at them all, "of another year."

He paused, and his eyes fell upon the Hufflepuff table. Theirs had been the most subdued table before he had gotten to his feet, and theirs were still the saddest and palest faces in the Hall.

"There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight," said Dumbledore, "but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here," he gestured toward the Hufflepuffs, "enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."

They did it, all of them; the benches scraped as everyone in the Hall stood, and raised their goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low, rumbling voice, "Cedric Diggory."

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore continued. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."

"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

A panicked whisper swept the Great Hall. People were staring at Dumbledore in disbelief, in horror. He looked perfectly calm as he watched them mutter themselves into silence.

"The Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore continued, "does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so – either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."

Stunned and frightened, every face in the Hall was turned toward Dumbledore now.

Dumbledore continued, "The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened – of Lord Voldemort's return – such ties are more important than ever before."

Dumbledore looked from Madame Maxime and Hagrid, Fleur and Harry sitting with the Beauxbatons students, to Viktor Krum and the Durmstrangs at the Slytherin table. Krum, Harry saw, looked wary, almost frightened, as though he expected to say something harsh.

"Every guest in this Hall," said Dumbledore, and his eyes lingered upon the Durmstrang students, "will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again – in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.

"It is my belief – and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken – that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst.

"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."

The pain we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me, and, reminds us, that though we may come from different countries and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one. In light of the recent events, the bonds of friendship made this year will be more important than ever. Remember that, and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain. You remember that, and we'll celebrate a boy who was kind, and honest, and brave, and true. Right to the very end Thank you. "

Everyone was silent.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Soon he was seeing Fleur off.

The Beauxbatons students had to go back to their school and finish some stuff up before they could graduate and head off.

Harry had some of his own things to finish in England.

They would be meeting at Delcour Manor on July the Twentieth.

And then after Harry turned eighteen he would have access to a lot of his vault funds.

He would then combine his money with Fleurs to buy a property.

And then he would need to start working.

Sebastian had a job available of Chief of Staff to the President.

The previous Chief of Staff Pierre Houssay had just been indicted on fifteen bribery charges.

On top of that and due to the events of the Triwizard Tournament Sebastian said he wanted people in his government whose loyalty he could trust.

Harry accepted the job.

He would start working in August.

Sebastian had explained that his role and responsibilities would be as thus.

1 Manage the president's schedule,

2 Select key staff and supervise them;

3 Structure the staff system

4 Control the flow of people into the President's Office;

5 Manage the flow of information;

6 Protect the interests of the president;

7 Negotiate with members of the Senate, other members of the government, and extra-governmental political groups to implement the president's agenda; and

8 Advise the president on various issues, including telling the president what they do not want to hear

It would be tough work but Harry was up for the job.

He could gain several important contacts that could help him in a run for the Senate at a later date.

It was really nice that Sebastian would offer him a job in his government.

That's the benefit of connections though.

He suspected that they would be busy.

Sebastian had left Hogwarts to Paris where he was going to call an emergency meeting of the French National Security Council.

He was taking the claim of Voldemort's resurrection to be quite serious.

Everyone else was mixed in their responses.

They were all shocked though.

But soon the Beauxbatons students were piling into their carriage.

Everyone had to give tearful farewells for now which was the hardest to do with their foreign friends.

Harry felt ok knowing that he would be seeing Fleur in a few weeks anyway.

It was still weird waving goodbye to the rapidly departing carriage though.

XXXXXXXXXXX

There were no clouds in the sky for their last day as the sun shined down on Hogwarts just as Harry looked at the castle grounds from the dorm window the sun was just over the horizon.

Harry could not believe he had made all the way to the day of his graduation, it only seemed like yesterday that he entered the castle for the first time. He walked away from the window with a sad feeling in the pit of his stomach as he checked to make sure he had everything and adding the last couple of things to his trunk. Leaving his trunk to be put on the train by the elves later, he looked over to his dorm mates they all looked to be ready for the day ahead.

"Are you guys read, we should head down together?" Asked Harry.

There were noises of acknowledgment from everyone as they all got ready to leave. They walked out of the dorm and down the stairs for the last time.

They met the girls on the way down

There was clinking of plates and cutlery and the chattering of people as they entered the great hall for breakfast. After they had finished their breakfast they walked out of the Great Hall out onto the grounds. Just past the greenhouses, there were chairs set up and a podium. Their loved ones were already waiting for the ceremony to start they sat at their allocated seat in alphabetical order. The ceremony started with a speech from Professor McGonagall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts for the graduation of the class of 1995. It is a great moment to be up here and see all the smiling faces as they move on to the rest of their lives. I couldn't be prouder of the work they have done to get here.

"As I look at you all today, I can only think back to when they were all scared little first years, just about to embark on a new journey that would change and make them grow in more ways than one. Although Hogwarts is nothing but a time in your lives I promise you will look back in a few years' time and forgot most of your time at Hogwarts after many of you move on to get jobs of your own and perhaps start your own family.

The one piece of advice that I can give you is to take the lessons you learned at Hogwarts and use them when needed. Life is short use the life you are gifted with to the fullest and live like there is no tomorrow because you do not know what is around the corner, although do think about tomorrow and don't do things that will have a bad of an effect in the future. The only life that is wasted is one that has regrets because we only regret the things we didn't do but had the chance. Happily ever after does not exist but we can make choices that will make us happy. I would just like to congratulate everyone on completing their Hogwarts education."

It was then time for the presentation of their completion certificates which were just a formal certificate to hang up on their walls. They would get their results by owl in a few weeks, they would also get another copy of their completion certificate which would have their results on them. They went up one by one to get their results and finally it was Harry's turn.

"Harry Potter" Professor McGonagall called out.

Harry walked up to the stairs to the podium and collected the certificate where he thanked Professor McGonagall and walked off the podium and sat in his seat watching as his friends got their certificates.

Soon it was time to say goodbye to everyone at Hogwarts and hop on the Hogwarts Express for the very last time. As the train pulled out of the station, Harry could not help but hope that the rest of his life would be good.

And he hoped that the situation with Voldemort worked out.

Or god help them all.

Author Note So basically to clarify Harry's job in Sebastains Administration would be in a nutshell the Presidential Secretary


	75. Chapter 74

Chapter 74

August 1st, 1995

Southern France

It was time for Harry's first day of working for the French Government.

The past few weeks leading up to this moment had been a real doozy.

After leaving Hogwarts he had stopped by and visited Isaacs shop.

Mr. Patterson had been able to get Harry's British Citizenship revoked without causing much of a fuss.

It was a requirement to work in a Presidential Administration that you do not have dual citizenship.

So now any future kids he had would go to Beauxbatons upon turning eleven.

And Harry had finally after about a month completed the rigorous background check that was required before he could work in Paris.

He never knew that the background check process was so rigorous but it made sense that he go through something like that before he got a security clearance to be in the most important places of the French Government.

Due to the fact that they would not be involved in the actual governmental affairs, neither Appoline or Fleur would even have his level of clearance.

He knew the privilege he was receiving and he was ready to show Sebastian that he could do the job and that he would not have regretted hiring Harry.

His only wish was that the shopping leading up to this was not so intense.

For his eighteenth birthday, Appoline and Fleur had dragged him to the store for a six-hour trip.

Appoline wanted to make sure that he had everything he needed before he started working.

So he now had a lot of suits and fancy outfits that he would be wearing to work from now on.

But by the end of the day, both Appoline and Sebastian were complimenting his outfits.

And in the end, that was what mattered.

Appoline had also spent much time going over the members of her husband's administration and what kind of people they were.

The good thing about the past few years is that by listening to conversations he was able to gain a pretty good understanding of the members of the Senate that he would have to be interacting with.

He felt well informed about the people that he would be meeting and felt confident that he could do the job he had to do throughout the day.

Now the only thing left to do was to start working.

It was still early in the morning and Harry waited in the entryway of the Delcour Manor waiting for Sebastian to arrive before they would floo to the Presidential Manor together.

Sebastian was going to give him a tour of the place before everyone got there and they started with their meetings.

At the end of the day, he would be sitting in on a cabinet meeting.

Sebastian came up behind him "Ready" He asked.

Harry nodded.

"Ok follow me," Sebastian said who walked up to the fireplace and threw in the powder.

Harry breathed in and followed his boss into the fire.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Cabinet Meeting opened with Sebastian beginning to speak "Hello, everybody. Thank you very much for being here. I think we'll start with Secretary Salan saying a prayer. Roul?

Thank you, Mr. President. So I'm going to read a prayer that is from a - long ago in my history. It's called the "Cadet Prayer." You see this little beat-up book? Every Auror Cadet gets one. And if you'll bow your heads, I'll do the prayer.

"O God, our Father, Thou Searcher of Men's hearts, help us to draw near to Thee in sincerity and truth. May our religion be filled with gladness and may our worship of Thee be natural.

Strengthen and increase our admiration for honest dealing and clean thinking, and suffer not our hatred of hypocrisy and pretense ever to diminish...Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half-truth when the whole can be won. Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy...

Help us to maintain the honor of the untarnished and unsullied and to show forth in our lives in doing our duty to Thee and to our nation. All of which we ask in the name of Great Friend and Master of Amen."

Everyone then raised their heads and Sebastian resumed his speaking.

Thank you. Thank you for doing a great job too.

"Thank you, sir: "Secretary Salan said.

President Delcour spoke "We meet at a time of great opportunity for our nation. Our economy is doing better than it ever has before. and I want to keep that momentum going.

He turned to Education Secretary Frédérique Vidal.

"During this year's elections a concern we heard from many people was that sending twenty of our best students to England for a year may have been detrimental to their education level and I believe I asked you to look into that back in May Frédérique what have you found"

The man at the end of the table began to speak.

"Yes Mr. President our Departments work has discovered that the Tournament has not made the students any less ready for the world than if they had stayed at Beauxbatons although the effects of Cedric Diggory's death seem to have had an emotional impact on many of them that are still unknown as of this moment"

"Thank you," Sebastian said gruffly. "I would like to ask Secretary Guillaume to He was giving me a rundown on the horrible fires that are taking place near the French Riviera. And I thought what he said was so true and, actually, rather incredible that most people don't hear it like it is.

And I thought he was great this morning. So before we start on a couple of other things we'll be discussing today, including, very importantly the Nineteen Ninety-Six Budget, I would ask you to give maybe a little recap of what you told me yesterday"

Agriculture Secretary Didier Guillaume then spoke "This is a matter of gross mismanagement; there is no question, The density of our forests now is historical. We have dead and dying timber everywhere. And if you don't believe me, believe your own eyes: Go out and take a look at our forests.

But sound active management, Mr. President, is the path that you have laid. And it's clear: These recent fires are absolutely preventable."

And so, Mr. President, we are actively engaged in the problem. We have signed secretarial orders. Secretary Buzyn and I went out to the affected areas just last month. We are joined at the hip to make sure we actively manage our forest, remove the dead and dying timber, replant diversity of species.

Thank you Secretary Mărăcineanu maybe you can say a bit on the deal we hope to reach with Germany soon.

During the meeting, Harry worked diligently on taking notes on what everyone was saying.

He also tried to learn as much about the people around the table as possible.

That information could really help Sebastian out later.

He also listened to what was being said.

Sebastian was taking the threat of Voldermort seriously.

While just as in England, a lot of people were skeptical about the Dark Lord's return Sebastian was not skeptical.

He had lost a lot in the first war and he had told him in private that he wanted to avoid that from happening again if possible.

So he was doing subtle ways with getting France ready for war.

In the 1996 Federal Budget, he would be submitting a request to the Senate for more Defense funding.

It would not be much at the moment but it would be useful to be able to train more wands that could fight.

And until Voldermort made more of a move nothing much more could be done.

Soon they got to the part of the meeting where Sebastian would introduce him.

"I would also like to introduce my new Chief of Staff Harry Potter who will now be taking over that role," He said.

Everyone at the table turned to greet him.

Harry replied to them trying his best to remember all of their names.

And after about an hour of conversation, the meeting drew to a close.

Thank you very much, everybody, for coming. Thank you. Thank you."Sebastian said as the various Administration members got out of their seats and started to leave.

"Come," Sebastian told him "It's time you meet some friends of mine"

Harry gulped as Sebastian led him over to talk with the Secretary of Labour Muriel Pénicaud

He hoped he made a good impression on everyone today.

**Author Note** Harry now has a job and soon he will have a house to live in with Fleur.

There will not be any fighting for another year or so until after the Department of Mysteries.

And even in the midst of the war, there will be other things going on.


	76. Chapter 75

Chapter 75

August 6th, 1995

Delcour Manor

After weeks of house searching, they were finally ready to buy a house using a combination of their inheritances and money gained from various jobs.

Fleur had decided it would be a good idea to go shopping on the weekend when he was not busy working.

'How soon can we go to Gringotts, Fleur asked. 'I have got a contract drawn up to purchase the property in Giverny for around eighty thousand galleons, where once we've paid a certain ten percent it will become binding, the house will be ours, and we then have a decade to pay the rest of the cost off.'

"That's a decent price" Harry pointed out.

'The cost is indeed a shame,' Fleur shrugged, 'but its hardly a problem. We are both talented enough to work wherever we want, and while the house is not cheap it will not lose any of its value over time.'

"And," Fleur said "Its a large property with three bedrooms, two baths and around a thousand acres of land"

'Wow,' Harry whistled.

'Oh Hush you,' Fleur admonished him playfully as they linked arms and side apprarated to the bank.

They then walked through the door of Paris Gringotts and looked about for an empty desk to go to.

'There's one on the far side,' Harry told her, where they walked as unobtrusively as possible along the line of desks.

'What can I help you with?' The goblin asked, fixing them with a calculating stare.

Fleur answered for him, 'There is a contract drawn up under both our names for a property in Giverny, we would like to make the first payment on it now.'

"Name," The Goblin asked.

"Potter and Delcour" Fleur replied.

Looking through his papers the goblin found the proper papers.

The Goblin looked at them .' Ah yes, It turns out that I can pay the remainder of the cost of the property if I take the money from both of your inheritance vaults, Mr. Potter and Mrs. Delcour, it would greatly simplify things although it would leave you with not much money afterward"

'How much will we have left?' Harry asked.

'Approximately a thousand galleons,' The Goblin answered immediately.

'Do it,' Harry decided. They could survive on a thousand galleons for now until his next paycheck from the government or they could ask for some money from Sebastian or Isaac.

"Combine my remaining money into his vault," Fleur said 'It should make things easier".

'The transaction will be done shortly, and I will transfer the funds shortly Mrs. Delcour' The Goblin extended one long-fingered hand in his direction which Harry shook firmly.

'I assume Gringotts will take its brokerage cut,' Fleur commented.

'The ten percent commission is included in the initial price on the contract, Miss Delacour,' He assured her. 'The property will be yours in no more time than it takes me to walk from this room to my office.'

That, apparently, was farewell, since the Goblin scooped up his enormous file and swept out.

'Do you think we can go to our new house now?' Harry asked Fleur.

'He said it would be ours in a few minutes,' Fleur smiled, 'and when I went to have a look it. We'll need to buy some furniture though.'

'We should cast the Fidilius Charm' Harry suggested. The sooner they were safely concealed in their new home the better. It would be nice to have somewhere he could relax, somewhere they knew they could always go back to and be safe.

Fleur nodded and the two of them apparated to the location given to them by Gringotts.

And stepped forwards onto the front path of a not inconsiderably sized house.

Fleur and Harry looked around at the outside of their new house.

'It could do with some repainting,' Fleur commented lightly.

'It needs more than that,' Harry said looking around. 'Furniture, paint, a new name, and some more serious wards.'

Fleur then decided instead of walking up the long way to the front she took Harry's hand and apparated them straight into their home, catching Harry by surprise and spilling them onto the floor of the empty hall when he subsequently lost his balance.

'You did that deliberately,' he accused, narrowing an eye up at her as she cheerfully straddled him.

'Of course,' she smirked, sliding off him teasingly. 'Should we view the house?'

'Is there anything to see right now?' Harry asked.

'We need to choose a bedroom,' Fleur told him as he rose to his feet, rubbing his back where he had hit the floor, 'and then we can search the other rooms.'

'What about the outside?'

'We have a lot of land,' Fleur laughed softly, 'I did not realize when I first looked at the house how much of the surroundings belong to us.'

'We need to buy some furniture,' Harry remarked, peering into the three, unused rooms on the ground floor. They were all empty save for the thick, dark, old wooden beams that held the ceiling up.

'Furniture shopping,' Fleur looked rather excited at the prospect. Harry groaned. 'It's probably not a good idea to try and buy everything at once,' she decided, 'so we'll just get the essentials. A table and some chairs for the kitchen would be a good start.''Our first shopping trip will be together,' Fleur said."'we need to decide on a few things together and then I will start buying some of the decor and the like.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fleurs feet and legs were drenched from walking through the tall grass in the back of their property.

Harry despite his obviously soaked clothing, continued to walk along the bank of the small stream with a cheerful smile.

'That is as far as it goes?' He asked.

'Yes,' Fleur nodded

'It's quite a lot of land,' he grinned, looking back to the distant elm trees and their house. The building was at least a thousand meters away.

'There is more wet grass out here than I would ever care to walk through,' Fleur replied archly.

'I was thinking we should work on creating some wards,' Harry mentioned.

'Across the whole area?' Fleur considered the idea. They could probably manage it, provided he only meant basic wards to prevent the more obvious methods of access or detection.

'Of course,' Harry said, 'it is all ours.'

'We don't want any unexpected visitors,' She mused nodding at what he had said, 'so anti-apparition wards and anti-portkey wards, are a must, and then we'll need actual protections as well.'

Drawing their wands Harry and Fleur strode several paces further towards the edge of their property, stopping only a few paces from the edge of the trees.

_'Fianto Duri,'_ she murmured, casting the strongest protective enchantment she knew. thrusting her wand into the air, and unleashing a crackling, glowing beam of bright light into the sky. The torrent of magic rose almost a hundred feet into the air before tendrils spread away from its tip like the petals of some vast flower. They arced upwards, feeding the spreading, translucent barrier that grew above their heads.

While she was doing that Harry was busy casting several less powerful but very useful enchantments.

_Cave Inimicum, Protego Diabolica, Protego Horribilis, Protego Maxima, Protego Totalum, Repello Inimicum, Salvio Hexia_

Fleur felt exhausted by the end of it.

The magic she had used would take an incredibly skilled mage to break. It was the sort of enchantment that would stop squads of Aurors in their tracks, and consequently, the drain on her magic was vast.

The two of them then worked on creating Anti-Apparation and Anti-Portkey Wards before finally exhausted after the effort of warding their property they turned into their Anigmus forms before flying back to the house and setteling on their couch .

Fleur's worries faded away as her body warmed, curled in Harry's arms as they sat together on the sofa. He was rubbing her back, and occasionally stroking her hair back from her forehead. She turned to press her lips against his, shifting in his embrace so that she could explore his chest and back with her hands.

He pulled her even closer, and she felt heat flood her body he deepened the kiss. Usually, Harry let her set the pace, never quite matching her passion, but now he took the lead, his hand moving under her blouse to glide over her skin, sending shivers down her spine as it slid up her back. The sensation made her arch, grinding her hips against his, and she tilted her head back as he kissed down her throat. His lips found the delicate hollows of her neck and shoulders.

As she moved in his arms, Harry wondered at the sensation of Fleur's body against his hands. She was so warm and soft, and so vibrantly alive, and he was overwhelmed with the desire to find, to feel, to memorize every part of her, to make her part of himself and give himself to her completely. He could feel her pulse through the fine skin under his lips.

They did not have a bed yet but they had the next best thing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

'Are you ready to go shopping yet?'

'Soon,' Harry promised.

'Stubborn,' she admonished, kissing him 'Brush your teeth,' she smirked, wrinkling her nose.

He made his way into their bathroom and divested himself of his clothes and wand. The room was quite small with a wide sink underneath a mirror and an antique highly temperamental shower.

The pipes hummed as he switched it on, carefully directing the water well away from him until its slightly delayed warming enchantment heated the water to something close to warm.

The tepid water splashed over his back, and head, flattening his hair against his scalp while turning scalding causing him to hiss, reflexively swiveling to wrench the tap closed and halt the flow.

Leaning out of the shower he found his wand and cast a few quick spells, drying himself and dispelling the cloud of steam.

Fully clothed, with his wand safely holstered he headed downstairs to meet his girlfriend.

'Finally Furniture shopping ' she sang playfully.

'I know,' Harry mumbled.

'You have been far too worried about shopping,' Fleur told him kindly. 'It's a little daunting if you look at it in a certain light, but,' she tightened her grip on his hand, entwining their fingers, 'I quite like the idea too.'

'You can choose the furniture then,' he retorted cheerfully.

'Of course,' she replied. 'I'm not letting you pick.'

'How hard can it be,' Harry shrugged, 'we're just buying a bed, a few chairs, and some cupboards.'

'That, ma Cherie, is why you're not choosing,' Fleur explained. 'There are all sorts of more complicated things to consider. There's the color scheme, the time period, the style, the price, and then we have to arrange them when we get back.' She neglected to mention that she had already considered these in the hours of searching the catalogs, and that, should Harry agree, they had to do no more than collect the furniture she'd already scouted during the past few days.

They then apparated to the French version of Diagon Alley

'There's a place nearby that enchants and sells furniture,' Fleur explained, leading the way. 'What colors do you like?'

'Green,' Harry shrugged unhelpfully, 'grey, silver, maybe blue.'

'How about Ivory,' Fleur suggested innocently, 'with pale wood and pastel blues.'

'Or that,' Harry grinned. He didn't really mind her choosing at all.

'That makes it easier,' Fleur told him. 'I've already found and reserved a list of what we need that fits that color scheme.'

'When did you do that?' Harry asked, looking far more relieved than curious.

: I've had some time on my hands" She replied.

Inside the store, they meet the salesman standing in front of a pile of stuff

'Welcome,' the old man greeted them 'are you here to pick up and pay for your furniture, Miss Delacour?'

'I am,' she confirmed. 'Do you like what you see, Arry?' Harry glanced at the furniture, then eyed her and nodded.

'This is for you and your friend, Miss Delacour?' The wizard croaked.

'Oui for me and my boyfriend Arry,' Fleur said.

'Wait,' Harry gazed around him at the stacks of furniture, 'this is all for us?'

'Of course,' the old wizard nodded, closing his eyes happily, 'Miss Delacour has spent many hours choosing some of my finest pieces.'

'I'm sure she has,' Harry replied evenly. 'It looks perfect,'

'I have enchanted every piece of furniture as you requested, Miss Delacour,' the wizard wheezed, 'you will find it quite hard to accidentally ruin or spoil any of these pieces.'

'Thank you, Moisur,' Fleur smiled. She could have enchanted all the pieces herself, but it would have been time-consuming, and the enchantments that caught her eye were generally a lot more dangerous and clever than simple stain resistance.

'Five hundred galleons,' The salesman told them"And thank you for that Mrs. Delcour" As he took the sack of coins.

'I'm going to have to shrink everything aren't I,' Harry realized.

'Yes,' Fleur nodded, 'it will give you something to do"

Groaning he none the less stepped away from his girlfriend and took out his wand.

By the time she finished the transaction Harry had finished and was leaning patiently against the wall of the now empty store.

'Thank you,' the wizard croaked and shuffled out of sight clutching the money tightly in one old, prominently veined hand.

'What now?' Harry asked tentatively.

'We apparate back and arrange the furniture,' Fleur decided, 'or, more accurately, we apparate back and you arrange the furniture where I want it.'

'That feels unfair,' Harry complained.

'I chose it,' Fleur responded unsympathetically, 'all you've done is shrink a few things"

Fleur took his arm for them to apparate home

With a soft snap, Harry apparated them back into the hall of their home, throwing an arm around Fleur's stomach when she staggered at their sudden apparition.

'Now what?' Harry was eyeing the empty spaces in the rooms apprehensively. 'Do you have a planned place for every piece?'

'No,' she laughed, 'put them wherever you think looks best, we can move things around later if we want."Before she walked into another room.

He found Fleur after he had finished.

'I've arranged things,' Harry smiled, 'You can go and rearrange everything now.'

Fleur walked out and ran an eye over the new interior.

'It will do,' she decided.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fleur looked at the door that he had been painting. 'It's supposed to be smooth, and even you know.'

'It is,' Harry defended.

'It is now that you've gone and used magic to fix it,' Fleur corrected him. 'Before there were lumps everywhere, and more blue on the doorstep than on the door.'

'It's harder than it looks,' Harry protested lightly. 'I needed a better brush.'

Harry vanished the remnants of the paint, and slipped his wand back away, before apparating them back into the kitchen. Harry caught himself on the table when he swayed, but Fleur, who had nothing within arm's reach, sprawled across the floor with a groan.

'I retract what I said earlier Arry,' she murmured into the tiles, 'this one is just as bad as all the others.'

'What were the others like?' Harry asked as he helped her into a chair,

'They all looked horrible,' she said.

**Author Note** Well Harry and Fleur finally have themselves a home and soon a family.

And for people that think that the house price was too high.

1 I can not find anything on house prices in the Harry Potter universe.

2 It's a large property.

3 They will pay parts of it over the course of ten years and not all at once.


	77. Chapter 76

Chapter 76

October 1995

France

When Harry finally arrived home, Fleur ran to the door, flinging it open and leaping into his arms.

"Steady " he laughed, carrying her back across the threshold, nudging shut the door behind him. "You'd think you hadn't seen me for eight weeks, not eight hours."

"But without you, ze hours feel like years," she answered unashamedly, covering his mouth with hers. Harry shrugged out of his jacket and her feet touched the ground again, drawing them towards the bedroom.

"I love you," he said against her lips. Fleur deepened the kiss, her hands trailing down to unbutton his shirt as Harry's found their way under her blouse. She let her fingers wander over his chest, then began to unfasten his belt as her back pressed against the bedroom door.

"Je t'aime aussi," she murmured between kisses, "J'adore." Her voice trailed into a whimper as his hand slid up her stomach and his lips moved down her neck. "Je te veux, mon mari.

He could spend forever just listening to her breathe. She wasn't asleep yet, not quite, but her eyes were closed, her cheek resting against his neck. Harry let his fingers trail through her white gold hair, across her shoulders, down the porcelain skin of her back. Fleur moved very slightly under his touch, and he marveled once again at how slender and delicate she was. Her waist was no wider than the length of his hand, and although she lay mostly on top of him she seemed to weigh almost nothing. And she was glowing. It wasn't so much that light was emanating from her, but as though moonlight was falling on her skin and hair, even though the moon had not yet risen in the twilight outside.

"Are you real?" he whispered, almost doubting that such a beautiful, wonderful creature could actually exist, could really be nestled naked against his chest.

"Non," she mumbled sleepily, "Je suis dans un rêve dans lequel tu m'aimes."

Harry smiled, breathing in deeply; she smelled of roses and vanilla, springtime and joy.

"Then I am in the same dream."

Non, je suis dans un rêve dans lequel tu m'aimes.

XXXXXXXXXX

Fleur was asleep, but Harry lay awake a little longer, watching her, scarcely daring to believe she was real. She was like a miracle, made alive in his arms.

It was here, he realized, as sleep drew near. Here, on that night, with her asleep against him as she was now, that he had known he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her They would face the uncertain future together, to whatever end.

Days Later

At first, Fleur didn't open her eyes. She lay still, letting consciousness slowly take shape. She had no memory of dreams, but there was a sweetness, a safe, comforting sort of resonance that filled her.

"Good morning."

She felt the whispered words as much as heard them and realized her cheek was still against Harry's chest, her arms draped across him, one of her legs over his. Suppressing a yawn, she nuzzled against him, breathing in his smell, her eyes still closed.

" 'Ow did you know I was awake?"

He didn't answer, but she felt his hand rest against the top of her head, then slide over her hair and down her neck to gently rub her back.

"You're beautiful."

She opened her eyes and looked up into his.

"Because I am in love," she answered.

"So am I," he said quietly, running his hand through her hair again. "So am I."

Fleur shifted a little, scooting up towards Harry's head, so her face was next to his.

"I love you, Harry James Potter."

He smiled, a warm, youthful, untroubled smile that made something inside her swell with joy, and she couldn't resist kissing him.

"I love you, Fleur Isabelle Delcour."

"How could I not want you? You're the most amazing girl in the whole world." He kissed her temple, her cheek, the tip of her nose. "How could I not love you? C'est impossible."

Fleur smiled to hear her native tongue from the lips of the man she loved, and snuggled closer, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Non, tu es l'homme le plus étonnant dans le monde," she murmured into his chest. His gentle hands spread across her back, caressing her, and she felt the slight roughness of his jaw on the top of her head. He was so comforting, so warm and secure, she felt herself almost starting to drift back to sleep until she heard his next words.

Harry's voice broke, and he bowed his head. Fleur reached up to his face, letting the tips of her fingers rest against his cheek. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet but steady, and he lifted his eyes back to hers.

"You make me a better man, Fleur. When I'm with you, I feel I'm more like the man I wish I could be for your sake. You make me strong...and you make me weak. You make me brave, and it terrifies me. I love you, Fleur. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

"Would you marry me?"

At first, she wasn't sure if she'd actually heard the words, or whether they had been the beginnings of a dream. Opening her eyes, she raised her head to look into Harry's face.

"Marry me?" he repeated softly.

For a minute, Fleur couldn't speak. She just stared into his eyes, which held that strange expression she had never known what to call, that she had first seen just before he kissed her for the first time. And suddenly she understood what it was, what it meant.

"Yes," she whispered, barely breathing. "Yes," she said again, feeling joyful tears well up, and torn between laughing and crying. "Amour de ma vie, oui, Je suis à toi pour toujours."

Harry was laughing too, and he wrapped his arms around her, rolled her over in the bed and kissed her.

"Tres merveilleux," he said quietly, between kisses, "Je t'aime."

"Pour toujours," Fleur repeated, as she kissed him back.

"Pour toujours," he replied.

Gently, he slipped a ring onto her the third finger of her left hand. It was silvery and slender and intricately wrought with tiny stones and etchings of flowers along with the band. Fleur felt tears behind her eyes, but she laughed at him anyways.

"You silly, wonderful man." She tugged on his hands and met his lips with hers as he stood up. She didn't notice that her feet had left the ground until he set her down a few moments later.

**Author Note** Well Harry and Fleur are now engaged to be married.

The Friendship of the past decade will now go to the next level.

Cheers


	78. Chapter 77

Chapter 77

December 20th, 1995

Delcour Manor

The past two and a half months had just flown by.

Everyone was happy to hear of Fleur and Harry's engagement and Appoline especially became heavily involved in planning for her daughter's wedding

And Before he knew it, he found himself standing in a daze on the grounds of the Delcour Manor.

Light-colored stonework glittered under the rays of the morning sun, giving the place an almost ethereal glow that reminded him of Fleur. Beautiful stained glass was interspersed here and there among large picture windows.

But Harry was having a hard time taking in the scenery.

A heavyweight had settled on him in the last hours as he realized the sheer magnitude of what was about to happen. True, for three weeks now he'd known that he was getting married and that it was forever, but that was him thinking intellectually.

This was his reality now, but it didn't seem at all real; how could it be? It was too good to be true.

"Ready Harry?"Isaac asked coming up from behind him,

Harry took a deep breath and forced himself to nod, though he somehow doubted it would be so easy. His heart rate increased as Mr. Patterson steered him toward the pavilion under which he would cement his future, and he did his best to breathe and remain calm. It was difficult to do.

He loved Fleur and wanted to be with her that was for certain.

But damn when you get to the actual moment of getting married it could be very nerve-wracking.

A pavilion was set up and situated in a shallow depression near the Manor, with white latticework surrounding a hexagonal platform, and a domed roof overhead. The latticework rose only a couple of feet from the floor, providing for easy viewing for the assembled guests.

Surrounding the structure, the guests sat in simple white chairs set out in a crescent formation, broken only by the aisle that ran up the middle. A long red carpet had been laid over the grass there, and it ran all the way through the open area in front and up the steps, clinging to their shape, and into the pavilion. To the side was a simple platform where a string quartet was playing some kind of march that he wasn't familiar with.

He could not believe this was actually happening.

Isaac walked with him for a short distance but had to separate at the base of the pavilion, leaving him to climb the stairs on his own, as was required.

Taking a deep breath, but not slowing, Harry ascended the two shallow steps onto the floor of the pavilion and then turned to await his bride. He had not yet seen the guests, and he was surprised at how many there were even if many of them were just friends.

Sebastian and Appoline sat in the front row; both were smiling. He smiled at all of them, silently acknowledging them as his new family, as unreal as that still seemed.

And then the music changed, and all was forgotten as he turned his attention to where Fleur was making her approach.

She was, in a word, stunning!

And frankly, that didn't do her justice. She was as radiant as ever. Her flowing white robes shimmered, adding to her natural glow. Her silver hair shone brightly under the sun, arranged in a neat plait that fell down her back, only a few loose wisps framing her delicate features.

She looked happier than he had ever seen her, and he could detect no fear or regret behind her eyes, which surprised him and made his smile turn truly genuine.

Harry offered an arm as Fleur gracefully ascended the steps. She accepted with a soft smile, and then they both moved forward, coming to a stop in front of the Minister Odette Duriez. The woman smiled pleasantly down at them, giving each a subtle nod before looking out over the guests.

The quartet fell silent, and a hush fell over the area as the ceremony began.

"Good morning," Odette said in a clear, ringing tone. "We are here today to witness the joining of two lives in the eyes of our state.

"Fleur Delcour, do you take Harry Potter to be your lawful wedded husband?"

"I do."Fleur breathed out tears in her eyes.

"Do you promise to love and cherish him, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him, for so long as you both shall live?"

"I do."She replied.

"Do you together promise in the presence of your friends and family that you will at all times and in all circumstances, conduct yourselves toward one another as becoming of husband and wife?"

At that, both Fleur and Harry said: "We do."

"Do you together promise you will love, cherish and respect one another throughout the years?"

"We do."

Duriez then turned to Harry.

Harry Potter, do you take Fleur Delcour to be your lawful wedded wife?

"I do," Harry said more confident in those two words than any other he had spoken before

"Do you promise to love and cherish her in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her, for so long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Harry said

"Do you together promise in the presence of your friends and family that you will at all times and in all circumstances, conduct yourselves toward one another as becoming of husband and wife?"

"We do."

"Do you together promise you will love, cherish and respect one another throughout the years?"

"We do."

And then it was time for their personal vows that they had agreed to do.

Harry went first.

"I, Harry, take you Fleur to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; until death do us part."

Fleur then spoke.

"I Fleur take you, Harry, to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

"And so it is my honor," Odette said tears in her eyes, "to join these two lives today. And to that end, I now call upon these two people to come forth and proclaim their union."

With another deep breath, Harry took a symbolic step forward, as did Fleur beside him. And again his nerves flared up, for what he was about to do could never be undone. But he squelched them, reminding himself that he loved her.

." You may kiss your new spouse"

Harry leaned in to kiss Fleur and the feeling was absolutely incredible.

At that moment he knew that everything was going to be ok.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Odette announced, "These two are now one. It is my honor, and my great pleasure, to introduce to you for the first time, Harry and Fleur Delcour!" Catcalls and whistles went up at the announcement.

"Shall we, mon amour?" smiled Fleur.

Harry nodded and with a smile, he led her out of the clearing, and into their new life together alongside his new wife.

**Author Note** Their married now.

The next steps will happen soon.


	79. Chapter 78

Chapter 78

December 27th, 1995

France

It was about a week after their wedding and Fleur got home just about after three o'clock from shopping all day. She set down her shopping, from the outside apparently normal but in fact magically altered so that she could carry all the ingredients for their Christmas dinner in two smallish bags. Harry opened almost as soon as she knocked, looking especially handsome in a dark green button up shirt and black slacks.

"Joyeux Noel, Harry."

"Happy Christmas," he answered, taking her bags. She followed him as he carried them back into the kitchen. "Wow. Looks like you brought all the makings for a real feast!"

"It is Christmas dinner, it 'as to be special." She was excited, and a little nervous, but after a few minutes the anticipation disappeared. It just felt so natural, cooking with Harry. As she sorted through ingredients and started the oven and the stove, and Harry got out bowls and cooking pans.

Soon the turkey was in the oven, and the soup simmering gently on the stove top. Harry's voice came from the living room, where he was hanging some small decorations she had brought. They didn't have a Christmas tree, so ribbons and tinsel hung from the corners of picture frames and curtain rods.

"Fleur, look, it's snowing again. We're going to have a white Christmas!"

She joined him looking out the window - sure enough, fat white flakes were falling from the cloudy sky, and a layer of fresh snow had already collected on the windowsill.

"Let's go outside."

Harry looked over at her.

"What about dinner?"

Fleur waved a hand dismissively. It would need at least an hour before she started the vegetables; the soup just needed to cook down, and of course, the turkey would be a while.

"We 'ave plenty of time for a walk, it will be fine." She went to the front door, slipping on her warm winter boots and while Harry grabbed his jacket. As soon as he opened the door, she ran outside into the yard in the front of the house, face upturned and mouth open to catch snowflakes as they fell.

"Hey, wait up!" Harry called after her, closing the door to the house and pulling on a knit cap.

He walked out towards her, and she couldn't resist the temptation to throw a handful of snow at him.

" 'Urry up, lazy old man," she called back. Harry laughed, shaking the snow out of his hat and brushing it out of his face. Suddenly his expression changed, and he gave a violent shiver.

"Ugh. Merlin, that's cold!" Fleur laughed as he frantically untucked his shirt in the back, shaking his jacket to try to get the snow out. He stumped over, scowling. Suddenly he grinned, and scooped up a handful of snow of his own, flinging it in her direction. She dodged and flung a handful back, ignoring the biting cold in her fingers. Harry came closer, scooping up some more snow off of the back of a bench. Knowing he was much too close to miss, Fleur started to make a dash for the shelter of a nearby tree. Halfway there, she slipped on a patch of ice, her feet skidding out in front of her. There was an awful moment when she knew she was falling, then suddenly she felt herself caught, held. Strong arms lifted her back to her feet, and she looked up into Harry's face, which was slightly worried but smiling.

"Careful, there," he murmured. For a moment neither of them said anything, he just held her, as the snow fell around them.

XXXXXXXXXX

Soon they had to dash back to the house to avoid getting in the middle of a blizzard of sorts.

Together, they broke into a run, finally tumbling through the door and into the house. Harry unbuttoned his coat and put his bag on the coat rack, then they just stood there for a moment. Fleur looked up at Harry, breathing hard from their run, soaking wet, and started to laugh. His face cracked into a smile, and soon they were laughing together. They gradually calmed down, and Fleur found herself noticing how Harry's wet snow covered shirt clung to his chest under his open jacket, and how little droplets of water ran down his chin and neck. He took a step closer and leaned towards her, and she felt her pulse increase, her cold hands get suddenly warm. She half closed her eyes, tilting her head back, waiting for him to close the distance between them.

But the kiss never came. Opening her eyes, Fleur realized that he had been reaching behind her to get his wand out of his bag. She was confused for a moment until he muttered a spell and she felt a sudden warm breeze blow over her whole body. She realized a moment later she was no longer cold. Apparently not noticing her distraction, Harry put his wand in his pocket, slipped his shoes off, and started to walk towards the kitchen.

"Smell's good," he commented. Fleur hurried to the kitchen to check on the soup and turkey, finding them almost ready to serve. She turned the heat up on the sweet potatoes that were simmering on low, drained the water and started to mash them, mixing in butter, brown sugar and pecans.

"Can I help?" Harry was standing in the doorway, his cheeks and nose red from the cold.

"You can set ze table. I am almost ready to serve." She gave him a quick smile, then dropped the vegetables into a pan to sear them quickly in a slightly tangy butter sauce.

A few minutes later and everything was ready. Harry helped her carry the dishes out to the table.

After dinner, Harry levitated all the dishes into the kitchen, walking slowly behind them to make sure nothing broke. Fleur stood up, but he waved her away.

"I've got this. We can tidy up later, you go sit down."

She wandered into the sitting room, taking a seat on the soft carpet in front of the fire. A few minutes later, Harry joined her, with two cups of hot chocolate.

XXXXXXXXXXX

A few days later Harry had to work late but at the very least Sebastian had given him time off to spend with his new wife.

He stepped over the threshold into the house

Wordlessly Fleur wrapped her arms around him. His arms encircled her, and for a while, they just stood there together. She felt Harry's chest expand as he inhaled, his breath in her hair. After a few minutes, Harry spoke.

"Are you all right?"

"I missed you."

"I know I'm sorry I've had to work late," he sighed.

She slowly released him, and he took off his boots, setting them by the door. Fleur took a few steps down the hall.

"Shall I make some tea?"

He nodded, following her and sitting down at the small table in her kitchen. She tapped the kettle with her wand, reaching for tea bags, milk, and sugar. A few moments later she set two steaming cups on the table and sat down across from Harry, curling her fingers around the warm mug.

For several minutes he didn't take a sip of his breakfast; he just watched her with that curious expression on his face. Fleur smiled, uncomprehendingly.

"What are you looking at?"

"You," he answered simply.

"You see me all ze time. What's bothering you?"

"I just...wanted to make sure."

"Make sure of what?" Fleur was a little confused.

He reached across the table, laying his hand over hers.

"You," he said again. "Just you."

"Fleur, you don't need to -"

"You need to eat Arry. Go and change, and I'll make you dinner."

She had the stove heating, a knife chopping vegetables, and a mixing bowl stirring in a matter of moments, and Harry just stared at her.

He went upstairs and took a quick shower before coming back downstairs to the smell of Fleur cooking.

Harry wasn't exactly sure what Fleur made for dinner, but it was delicious. It seemed to warm him from the inside out, and ease his aching joints.

"Thank you, Fleur. I suppose I needed that."

"Yes you did," she answered. "Feeling better now?"

"Much."

"Zen you won't mind 'elping me tidy up, will you." Fleur looked pointedly at the dishes by the sink, and Harry laughed.

"Sure. I've been getting better at that household magic." To prove his point, Harry waved his wand and the dishes immediately started washing themselves. He flicked his wand at a towel on the oven door, and it floated over to the sink to begin drying them. Fleur shook her head.

"Show off." Harry smiled, then sighed.

So far their first week of marriage was working out ok.

It definitely helped a lot that they had more stuff in the house now.


	80. Chapter 80

**Warning** Lemon in this chapter

Don't read if underage

You have been warned.

Chapter 79

December 30th, 1995

The Manor

Harry was woken by a slim, warm arm slipping gently around his shoulders, and opened his eyes just in time to receive a faceful of silver-blonde hair as Fleur tucked her head into his collarbone.

Light streamed into their room, thrusting a warm, orange glow through his eye-lids and bathing him in heat. Lying half-awake Harry was content to quietly bask, but Fleur, as always, grew restless tucking herself under his chin to press light kisses along his collarbone.

Harry opened one eye to look down at her gently and kissed the top of her head, the only part of Fleur he could easily reach to kiss.

'It's cold,' Fleur complained sleepily into his neck, pushing herself as close to him as she could manage.

'I'm sure there is some way to enchant the walls and windows to retain the heat better,' Harry told her, using his free hand to smooth her hair down out of his eyes.

'Dangerous,' Fleur mumbled in response, pulling her knees up, and Harry winced as her feet came into contact with his calves. They were cold as ice. 'It's very complicated, and if you get it wrong you can destroy your house in any number of ways. Air currents, mold, damp, and fire,' she listed, sounding progressively less sleepy as she went.

'Speaking of fire,' Harry smiled, 'I'm sure there are easier ways to warm your feet.'

'I like this way,' Fleur decided. 'It is nice to have you here warming up the bed again.'

'I feel so appreciated,' Harry grinned, kissing her gently on the head, then rubbing his nose where her hair tickled him.

'You know you're appreciated,' Fleur smirked

'I suppose we'll have to get up eventually,' Harry said, freeing an arm to wrap around her shoulders.

Neither of them wanted to move towards the edge of the bed.

Eventually, Fleur moaned, and slipped out from under his arm, discarding her nightdress with a coy look. Harry found himself suddenly much more awake than before and shifted subtly towards his clothes to conceal his reaction.

"We can go for a quick round if you want" Fleur offered.

Harry nodded mutely as Fleur reached down and guided Harry's hard rod into her. The part Veela gasped in pleasure as he filled her to the hilt.

"Oh Harry," Fleur moaned as she arched her back to try and bring him deeper into her sex.

Harry smirked as his Veela mate withered below him. He drew back until just the very tip of his cock was in her before he thrust back into her hard.

Fleur gasped over and over as he repeated the process of pulling out slowly and thrusting back into her body hard. Harry could feel Fleur squeezing her inner muscles around his cock to try and make him move faster.

"Please Harry," Fleur whimpered to her mate. This pace to her was agonizing, she could feel herself about to orgasm but it wouldn't come at this slow pace.

"Please what?" Harry teased her. He slowed his pace down, even more, much to her disappointment.

"Please fuck me, Harry, fuck me hard!" Fleur shouted out. Harry smirked but complied with her wish. He sped up his pace as he slammed into her sex over and over. Not even ten seconds after Harry had sped up his pace; Fleur locked her legs and arms behind him and pulled Harry to her so she could shove him as deep as he could go into her.

Harry felt Fleur trap him in a death hold as he felt her shudder underneath him. He could feel the inner muscles of her sex squeezing the life out of him. Fleur gave one last shudder before her arms and legs loosened their grip.

"My turn to cum," Harry whispered into Fleur's ear. Harry started to shove himself back into Fleur, not caring now about her pleasure.

He could only keep up the pace for another ten minutes before he felt Fleur go through another orgasm. While not as strong as the first, Harry still couldn't hold on as he started to cum into her.

Her hand drifted down to her mate's half hard penis and lazily gripped it. She slowly stroked her hand up and down his shaft, making him moan out

"That feels good, love," Harry told her as he ran his hand through her hair

"I bet this will feel better," Fleur commented with a smile before she engulfed the head of his shaft with her mouth. Harry hummed in agreement as she nibbled on the head of his cock. Fleur bobbed her head up and down his shaft, slowly taking more and more into her mouth

"Oh fuck yes," Harry moaned out as Fleur took his entire cock into her throat. He looked down and saw that her nose was pressed against his pubic hair. She stayed like that for just under half a minute, letting her throat milk his shaft

She pulled off and immediately took a deep breath. She stroked him, her spit and his precum more than enough lubricant.

"Fleur," Harry said as he gritted his teeth. After that deep throat, this slow stroking was killing him.

Fleur looked up at her mate's face and saw the agony and smiled apologetically. She engulfed his cock with her mouth again and sucked him hard. It was enough for Harry to lose control and cum in Fleur's wanting mouth. She expertly swallowed everything he gave her, not missing a single drop.

The half Veela let Harry's cock fall from her mouth as she climbed up his body to sit on his lap.

"That was new," Harry commented. He brought his hands to Fleur's side to stroke her body

Fleur flushed at his comment. "I practiced on a dildo, figured you would like it," she admitted to him

Fleur rolled to the side and breathed heavily. She rolled up onto her hands and knees before turning to Harry and giving him a smoldering look. Harry took the cue and got behind her and easily slipped into the tight passage

Her insides were stretched around his impressive girth and her slick sheathe conformed to his shape.

"Arry…oh oui…'arry," Fleur moaned out, slipping from her normal light accent into a heavier breathy speech. "In me…you're so deep inside me!"

His mouth came up and latched onto her left nipple. Fleur moaned approvingly while threading her hands through his hair and pulling his lips harder around her tit. His teeth grazed her sensitive flesh. The French witch bounced in his lap while he repeatedly skewered her core on his dick.

Her partner brought several fingers to her snatch and pushed inside. She felt his thumb slowly brushing against her clit as his tongue did its work. After a few minutes of this pleasant experience, she felt another small orgasm approaching

After they had both finished Harry pulled out and started to do something new.

Fleur turned her head back over her shoulder and saw her boyfriend as he fingered her butthole. His erection throbbed between his legs while he stared intently at her ass. She watched as he withdrew his finger and gripped his prick. He guided the thick head of his tool to her anus and pressed forward. Pleasure poured into Fleur's mind as her asshole was forced open. She gladly accepted the intrusion while watching the look of bliss going across Harry's face.

Harry's gaze locked onto Fleur's face as she stared back at him. She alternated between watching his sausage sink between her buns and gazing up at his face.

Fleur's features were twisted in intense euphoria. Her eyes were smoldering pools of lust and desire. He felt her rectal muscles clenching around his staff in protest as he slowly sheathed it in her anal chute. The French witch's guts felt amazing around his manhood as he pushed it firmly up her rear. Fleur's body trembled as his pelvis met the crack of her butt. He ground his groin into her backside and reveled in the feel of her heated depths which conformed perfectly to the shape of his dick.

She was so incredibly beautiful that Harry felt his lust and desire for her swell to greater heights. She was his, her body wrapped around his prick. He brought his hands to her butt cheeks and squeezed them together while he started to move. He drew his hips slowly back before pushing his shaft forward back into her depths. Fleur gasped and moaned as he repeated the action over and over.

. She felt his hands gripping her rear and hips tightly while his lengthy rod coursed back and forth through her greatly stretched sphincter where it rubbed the insides of her colon. The deep parts of her innards his shaft was touching were parts she wasn't normally aware of. His touch brought these parts to her awareness. She broke the kiss when her lungs demanded air and took in large breaths. His mouth switched to her ear and neck. His hot breath beat against her sweat covered skin and caused her to shiver. She felt his pelvis meet her backside again and again. Pleasure collected in Fleur's abdomen but she knew her orgasm was a long way off. She put her head down on the invisible barrier her mate's power had conjured and prepared for a good long screw. Her English wizard switched from gripping her butt and hips to moving his hands up to find her pert breasts. Fleur's nipples enjoyed the attention from the wandering digits. Her head rested on her left arm while the witch's right hand slipped between her thighs. She started toying with her also spreading her legs wrapping her right limb around his waist while using her grip to bring his manhood to her slit. Fleur stared intently into his eyes as she pushed her hips forward. The young woman let out a low moan from the back of her throat as she pressed herself onto his shaft.

**Lemon End**

He had had a long night at work today with literally piles of paperwork to do.

Harry gently apparated into the living room. He had gotten home late. Really late. Like the dead of the night late.

Outside, snow was falling and the cold had caused his hands to be shaking. Thankfully, Fleur had laid down warmth wards to keep the house at a comfortable temperature.

Harry kicked off his shoes and slipped off his jacket, throwing it onto the couch. He blew hot air onto his stiff fingers, trying to warm them up more quickly. Yawning, he transfigured his clothes into a set of sleepwear and began trotting to their room. He could deal with changing in the morning.

He gently opened the door to the bedroom. There she was. Their blankets covered her almost completely, only her head and arms were visible. She laid on her side of the bed but clutching a pillow as she faced his side. As if she was holding onto him. He couldn't help but smile at this.

Harry tiptoed to the bed and smiled down at the sleeping form of his wife. Even in sleep, she was still the most beautiful thing he had seen.

A yawn got his attention.

"'Arry?" Fleur rubbed her eyes

"Sorry, did I wake you?" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"It's all right" Fleur yawned and stretched. Harry's eyes roamed all over her body. She looked at him with droopy eyes. "Well? Aren't you going to say 'ello to your wife?"

He kissed her on the lips.

"Mmm." She moaned"You're late." Fleur mumbled.

"I know, I'm sorry." Harry got settled into bed. He removed the pillow from Fleur's arms and placed it behind his head. He took the place of the pillow in her arms. "I just got caught up with work."

"Mmmm just try and not make this a reoccurrence." She began to slip back into slumber. "Love you."

"Love you too." He kissed her forehead before letting sleep envelop him.

The next morning he walked out of their bedroom, yawning and stretching as he went. He stopped outside their room, listening for any signs of life in their home.

Creak... Creak... Creak...

A soft creaking. It was an unusual sound to hear this early, but not unfamiliar to him. Harry made his way to the source of the sound, the living room. And there she was.

She sat in a rocking chair, staring out the window at the rain. She didn't seem to notice him.

"Morning," Harry said, approaching her.

"bon Matin, 'Arry." Fleur turned her head and smiled softly at him.

"What are you doing up so early?" Harry conjured a small chair and sat down next to his wife.

"Just... zinking." Fleur's gaze returned to the window. The sun would be rising soon.

"About what?"

"Stuff." Silence hung in the air for a few moments. "'Arry- 'Arry I went to a 'ealer ze ozzer day."

"Why?" Harry's mind instantly went to the worst.

"I've been feeling weird recently. I can't stomach certain foods. I Crave ozzers. Sickness some mornings." Fleur rattled off some other symptoms. Harry grasped her hand.

"Fleur, what's wrong?" Harry felt as if a huge weight was on his shoulders, threatening to crush him.

"I'm pregnant." She stated plainly. Instantly the weight was lifted. Harry couldn't stop the smile from taking over his face.

"You're pregnant?" Fleur only responded with a few nods.

After settling down, Harry spoke again.

"This is great news Fleur"

"I know" She gasped embracing her husband "I'm not sure about how to bring it up to everyone else though".

Harry thought about that.

"The weekend will be coming up soon we can invite your parents over than where we can tell them" Harry suggested.

"You would do that with me," Fleur said beaming "Thank you"

"Anytime for my wife," Harry said "Got to go to work now"

Fleur nodded "Yes we will soon have to feed three mouths soon," She said pointing at her belly.

Harry beamed as that fact slowly sunk in.

"We're going to be parents Fleur," Harry said.

"Yes love" Fleur chuckled "You are going to be a father" and then kissing him "Get ready for work ok".

Still Speechless he hurried to the shower.

**Author Note** I know Fleur and Harry are young to be parents.

But also think about the dangers of bringing children into a world ravaged by war.

It Adds a whole layer of danger

Just Saying.


	81. Chapter 81

Chapter 80

February 1996

Home

He had now been in his role as Chief of Staff to the President for Six Months now and married for a month.

It had definitely been an interesting time so far that was for sure.

After a bit of work, it turns out that he was a very effective organizer.

Meeting all of the various Cabinet members and Senators had made him very busy and thus he had to work late on many days.

But it was definitely worth it for his annual salary of twenty-seven thousand galleons a year.

He got along well working with his new father-in-law though

Both Sebastian and Appoline had been absolutely ecstatic once they had heard that they would be having their first grandchild in nine months.

The only fear came from Sebastian and it was a concern that Harry shared.

Voldemort was on the rise.

He was currently gathering strength but would soon want to go on the move.

And then there would be the issue of bringing a newborn into a world engulfed by war.

Harry tried not to think about that though.

It was the weekend now and he wanted to spend some time with his wife.

After getting home Harry made his way quietly towards the bedroom, unbuttoning his outer layers of clothing as he went. Fleur was lying on the bed, wearing his pajama bottoms, fast asleep. The sheets were rumpled slightly but not covering her, and her arms were wrapped around his pillow. Gently he eased the covers out from under her. She stirred a little and opened her eyes.

"Harry?" she whispered sleepily.

"It's me. I'm home," he answered. He pulled the bedsheets up to her chin and reached for the pile of blankets at the foot of the bed, but she grasped his hand.

"Stay?" she asked quietly.

"Fleur, I don't..."

"Please." He could hear the distress in her voice and sensed that she wanted to be close to him. So he allowed her to pull him down onto the bed, sliding under the covers next to her. She snuggled up against him and he folded his arms around her. Her breathing slowed as he held her until it was deep and even.

She seemed so small, so delicate and fragile, asleep in his arms.

Yet it didn't feel rushed or forced; now he was here, it seemed perfectly natural to lie here beside her as she fell asleep. She made a soft noise and turned a little, so that her back was pressed against his chest, her fingers closing slightly around his. He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, feeling the softness of her skin, the tiny bones underneath. He inhaled deeply, smelling her hair, feeling her heart beat through his chest.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fleur awoke first. The pale light coming through the windows showed it was still fairly early. Harry was beside her, still asleep. She felt his long arms encircling her, his hand still in hers, his soft breath near her ear. She brought her hand up to her face, pressing the back of his palm against her cheek.

For a few minutes, she didn't move; it felt so safe, so peaceful just to stay here. Eventually, she shifted towards the edge of the bed, sliding out of Harry's embrace. He stirred and opened his eyes, pulling her back to face him. His hand cupped her cheek, and he looked at her intently.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly.

"I'm all right. Go back to sleep."

He closed his eyes again, letting her fingers slip through his. Fleur got up and noticed a sheaf of blank parchment on top of the little bookshelf. Finding a drafting pencil on top of his dresser, she turned to look at Harry again. she started to draw his face, his cheek creased slightly from his pillow, his hair loose. There was a shadow along his jaw, darker than his hair, and his cheekbones stood out over hollow cheeks. After a few minutes of concentrated sketching, she held her picture up to the light.

She sighed, folding the parchment and sliding it under her clothes to put in her sketchbook later.

Last night's rain had apparently stopped, and pale sunlight shone through the cracks in the eastern clouds. The clock by the bed told her it was just before seven, so she had plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast.

Stretching, she put on some slippers and wandered out into the kitchen. She looked through the cupboards. She found eggs, sausage, mushrooms, green onions, and a little bit of red pepper only slightly wrinkled. Starting a pan on the range, she spread some butter in the bottom. When it started to sizzle she added the sausage, then the onions. A little cheese would be good over the top once it was finished, so she covered the pan and investigated the ice box.

Harry came into the kitchen just as she was cracking eggs into the pan.

"Morning, sleepy 'ead. I 'ave breakfast nearly ready, if you would like to start ze toast." She indicated a plate of sliced bread waiting to be toasted.

"All right. I thought I smelled something good." He leaned in to kiss her cheek, but she turned her head, capturing his lips with hers. Holding the kiss, she reached up to caress the back of his neck, letting her fingers sink into the hair falling around his shoulders.

"Wow," he murmured softly after she finally broke away. "Good morning to you too."

She smiled.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Weren't you going to start zat toast?"

"Yeah...I just got a little...distracted."

"Silly boy," Fleur shook her head.

"Did you want those eggs over hard?"

Fleur turned to look at the pan, where indeed the eggs were well on their way to cooked solid and had not yet been scrambled as they should have been at least a minute ago.

"Mon dieu! Zey will be ruined!" She hurriedly grabbed the spatula to try to salvage her scramble.

"Silly girl. Did something distract you?"

"Hey there I resemble those remarks."

"Smart Alec"

"You still love me though"

"Uggh"

**Author Note** I can not think of a good name for Fleur and Harrys Home.

Any suggestions?

Also, I got Harry's salary of twenty-seven thousand galleons a year by looking at the modern day US chief of staff salary of 179,000 and dividing it by 6.64 and getting twenty-seven thousand.

And I did not write that much about Fleur being pregnant at the moment due to the fact that at this point she is not far enough to be showing anything yet.

That and more about the baby will come later.


	82. Chapter 82

Chapter 81

June 19th, 1996

Home

Despite having given up his British Citizenship Harry had kept a subscription to the Daily Prophet to be kept in the loop about what was going on with Voldemort in England.

So when he saw this mornings paper it made him very nervous.

_Change In Ownership Of The Daily Prophet Brings Change Of System:_

_There has been a change in the ownership of the Daily Prophet and the new ownership has made some changes in the structure and system. Because of the changes, three members of the staff have been caught bearing the Dark Mark of You-Know-Who and have been handed over to the Aurors. Also, we apologize for some of the news in the last year that was forced on us by some outside influence. However, from this edition forward, all news will hereby be verified before being published._

_Break Into The Department Of Mysteries In June?_

_We have come across evidence showing us proof that there was a major break into the Department of Mysteries. The DOM is the most closely guarded secret in the Ministry and is also the department with the highest security. We have established that the break was by none other than Max Potter, the boy-who-lived. He along with five of his friends from school broke into DOM as a rescue mission to save his godfather Remus Lupin who was believed to have been captured. Moments later, they were cornered in the Hall of Prophecies by at least a dozen Death-Eaters. It is a great shock that such a closely guarded area can be infiltrated on a Ministry working day that too by school children and wanted criminals. We were able to confirm that Bellatrix Lestrange was among the Death-Eaters as well as her husband Rudolphus Lestrange. But the man rumored to be the leader of the group was Lucius Malfoy, who was accused of being a Death-Eather during You-Know-Who's first rise but was released when he pleaded that he was under the Imperious curse. _

_Also, You-Know-Who himself was confirmed to have made an appearance at the Ministry to kill the boy-who-lived but was met by Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The duel lasted several minutes until You-Know-Who was forced to retreat. It was then that several Ministry personnel including our own Minister, Cornelius Fudge saw Him and recognized Him despite claiming over the last year that it was a lie about You-Know-Whos Resurrection. It raises serious questions as to how to the most feared Dark Lord of recent could waltz into the Ministry along with some of the most wanted criminals without being seen. Is this the condition of the Ministry that they could not provide enough security for their own highly guarded building? How can the people trust when they could not keep safe the most closely guarded secret department?_

_Bribery In The Ministry?_

_Recently we have received information that suggests the involvement of bribery in the higher levels of the Ministry. There have been many pieces of information that indicate that officials in some high positions in the Government have been taking bribes to help the involved parties in very controversial dealings. Although we have not yet uncovered the recipient of these bribes, we are sure in our findings that these things have been going on for some time now. We would like to notify the readers that Madam Bones the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has requested any person having any kind of information that may help in the investigation to root out corruption can submit that information without any fear. Anonymity will be maintained and if needed protection will be offered to those individuals having information and ask for it._

_Minister Trying To Influence At Hogwarts?_

_It has come to light that the appointment of Dolores Umbridge, Undersecretary to the Minister as the Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher was to influence and bring Hogwarts under Ministry control. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was found about a thousand years ago by four of the greatest witches and wizards. From that time Hogwarts has been an independent institution and was constantly regarded as one of the best schools of magic in Europe. Several prominent individuals of society who were past students of the institution agree that the school's reputation is due to the lack of influence from outside including the Ministry and it being an independent institution. The school has produced some of the most brilliant and successful witches and wizards in the world. So we wonder why a person like Dolores Umbridge was placed as DADA teacher there despite her lack of qualifications._

_It all started because of the lack of candidates for the post. The Minister issued an Educational Decree putting him in a position where he can appoint a teacher if the Headmaster was unable to do so. So why did he appoint his Undersecretary when there were more qualified people present. Also, the various Educational Decrees issued to help in the functioning of school only helped to provide more power to Dolores Umbridge finally resulting in her appointment as High Inquisitor. Such an appointment has never been made in the history of the school. Also, they were many attempts to discredit Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts. He was even removed as Chief Warlock of Wizengamot and The International Confederation of Wizards._

_Albus Dumbledore has been considered by many as the greatest wizard of the age and the only one You-Know-Who ever feared. He is regarded as one of the best headmasters Hogwarts has ever seen. He has also done many famous deeds including the defeat of Grindelwald. But he has always refused the post of Minister of Magic. He has been already asked three times the last time being when Millicent Bagnold retired. But he has rejected the offers and has instead worked as the headmaster of Hogwarts. So it was a great shock to all when he was forced to leave Hogwarts after he was accused of trying to build up an army and Minister Fudge personally tried to arrest him. He then passed another Educational Decree making Dolores Umbridge the Headmistress when it should have been Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress. So we ask why has this all happened and why is the Minister taking such an interest in controlling Hogwarts. We would like to inform the readers that Albus Dumbledore has returned to all his previous posts when You-Know-Who's return became public._

_The behavior of Dolores Umbridge has been very controversial. She is rumored to be a very bad teacher and refused to let the students involved in any kind of practical work. As many readers may remember, the practical portion is an important part of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Also, there have been many complaints that she used Blood Quills against students as punishment during detentions. Blood Quills have been classified as illegal dark items for the past two hundred years. Their possession is enough to be arrested and their use, especially on minors, is a serious crime. So why is it that a high Ministry person is rumored to have such illegal items. We also question the motives of the Minister behind her appointment as Headmistress when there were so many complaints against her._

This was not good.

He needed to go and meet with Sebastian soon.

They would need to work out a response to the more recent events.

**Author Note** Well the Second Wizarding War has now erupted into open warfare.


	83. Chapter 83

Chapter 82

June 20th, 1996

Diagon Alley

Harry was visiting a shop in Diagon Alley with Isaac so they could buy some important things.

It was shortly after the start of open warfare and they wanted to get some stuff squared away before it became too dangerous to travel.

After finding what he wanted and paying for it, the owner covered it, shrunk it down, and put a number of charms on it. Harry slid the purchase into his robe along with instructions on how to remove the charms and stepped out of the store, when his mentor stopped to sniff the air.

Do you smell smoke?' Isaac frowned, turning around curiously and almost slipping on the cobbles.

Harry sniffed the air. There was a distinct tang of smoke, a thick, acrid burning smell and gentle wisps of grey drifted over the crowd of shopping wizards.

Something is wrong, Harry realized, a tendril of ice slithered down his spine.

'Morsemordre,' a hoarse voice cried as he straightened up, and the glowing green skull exploded over the Alley.

Fifty or more Death Eaters had just Apparated into Diagon Alley.

Screams were now erupting up and down Diagon Alley. Death Eaters began randomly cast spells, killing or injuring some people and humiliating others.

The four adults with Harry had seen enough. They brought their wands level and curses streaked out across the Alley. Harry followed up with his own series of jinxes and curses. The Death Eaters returned the favor

Everyone was screaming. Dark robes and colors flashed within the panicked crowd. Sudden cracks rang out as every wizard capable of apparition fled the alley.

Movement of robes and a flash of silver caught Harry's eye. He dove to his left, and onto the cobblestone pavement. Two bright green curses streaked past him. He looked back to make sure Isaac was okay.

The first Death Eater stood fifteen yards away. Behind him, nine more Death Eaters followed.

Soon a light show exploded in the square. Deathly green and violent red dominated the rainbow of curses that crisscrossed. Harry waved his hand at a garbage can and it streaked into the path of a Killing Curse.

He recognized two of the Death Eaters as Yaxley and Avery

'Crucio,' Yaxley cackled, and the crackling beam of red burst against the wall behind Harry. Avery's silent spellfire hissed viciously past him to score scorching craters into the cobbles.

Harry did not pause, wordlessly summoning a shield, to block

Had he been a second slower he would have been torn apart.

Around them red umbrella's were scattered and shredded, tables splintered and melted, and chairs shattered.

Harry dropped his shield charm. And threw a cutting curse he had read about in one of his books. The closest Death Eater moved for a wind-block, but the curse cut through the wand and took him mid-waist. Harry quickly followed up, casting his own Killing Curse and hitting the already wounded Death Eater in the face.

He cast curses with vehemence, the tip of his wand dancing in the sun. Everything slowed down and he was able to watch spells exit from his wand, tracking them across the open space to their target.

Diagon Alley was ablaze in cursed colors. More windows exploded and signs were blown off walls from errant curses and attempted kill shots.

Wizards, hags, and dark creatures emptied out of Knockturn Alley, some fighting against the Death Eaters, most fighting with them, and a few happily cursing anything that moved, regardless of loyalty. Diagon alley turned into a kill zone.

More Death Eaters poured into the Alley and Harry felt Isaac tugging on his robes, even as he cast two nasty cutting curses. "Back to the shop!"

They reengaged, mixing weak stunners with cutting and blasting spells. Isaac cast an Obscuration Charm that filled the space between them with smoke, and they split

Breaking into a run they were able to narrowly get into the shop seeing Death Eaters coming down after them.

Isaacs wand went back up in the air and five balls of red light the size of Bludgers appeared over him and then he threw his hands forward.

Harry covered his ears to protect them from the shrieking orbs that shot out of the room. They broke up into a thousand angry red dots before driving through the next two waves of Death Eaters that were making their way into the building and turning them into sieves.

Harry watched the bodies drop, then met his mentor's eyes.

"Get upstairs" He yelled.

A curse snuck under their defenses, striking Harry in the chest. He stumbled back and caught himself against the wall.

"Harry!" Isaac stepped in front of him and his wand became a blur. Curse after curse rocketed across the room. He managed to drop three more Death Eaters, a plethora of spells, most green or black, shot back at them.

"Go, Go, Go" He yelled and Harry and ran up the stairs followed by his mentor.

Isaac then sent a Blasting Spell into the brick. He thrust his hands out again, and sent the pieces hurtling at the Death Eaters, but this time they were waiting. Three of them threw Banishing Charms into the room, driving the debris at the other four.

They rushed into the back room.

Isaac handed Harry a Portkey.

"This will take you to France Harry and to the Delcour Mansion tell Sebastian that I have put my emergency plans into action".

Harry felt worried "What are you going to do" He asked.

"I'm destroying this shop so that the Death Eaters cant get their hands on everything," Isaac said grimly

"No" Harry gasped "I'm not leaving you to hold them off on your own".

His mentor's expression went soft "Harry you have been wonderful but you have more you need to achieve in this life so let me take this from here"

An Explosion rocked the building there forth signaling that the Death Eaters had breached the upstairs wards.

"Activate," Isaac said and then began chanting _"Libare Destruet Locum Istum"_

Harry looked down and saw his Portkey activate.

A Flash rushed through the building before he appeared in the field next to the Delcour Manor where everyone was at for the moment.

His mind was racing.

Sebastian raced out the back door and down through the yard. Fleur came out a few seconds later, running as fast as her legs would carry her.

"Arry What 'appened?" Fleur yelled out.

"Diagon Alley has been attacked " Harry answered," It's a massacre"

Sebastian who was close enough to be heard without shouting, stopped dead in his tracks. "How bad is it?"

"I don't know," Harry answered. "I saw dozens of Dark Marks going up all over the place."

Sebastian tensed. "Let's get back under the wards," He said curtly.

When Fleur reached Harry she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

She stepped back but didn't release him. "'Arry, you 'ave blood all over you!" she cried out, frantically looking for wounds on his head, face, and neck.

"It's nothing."

"DON'T TELL ME IT'S NOZZING!" Fleur yelled, continuing the frenzied search and falling back into a deeper accent. "You don't bleed for nozzing!"

"Fleur," Sebastian interrupted. "I'd feel better if we were inside now"

Fleur led Harry to the sitting room and settled him on the couch, conjuring towels and cleaning him up, again.

"'Ow did you get all these splinters? It's going to take forever to get them out, get comfortable."

Forever ended up being about an hour to find, remove, and clean the remaining wounds from dozens of splinters in Harry's face, neck, and hands. She carefully cast the Accio Spell on each splinter, stopping every couple of minutes to wipe off the blood that seeped from some of the deeper wounds left by them.

Harry relaxed as Fleur worked across his forehead. "Just one more and we're finished. I don't think they'll leave scars."

Fleur summoned the last splinter. It ripped straight through the skin and Harry winced.

After she was done Sebastian came in to speak to them.

"I have bad news," He said grimly "Diagon Alley is a bloodbath".

Fleur tensed up "How many dead"

"28" He replied."And I'm sorry to say that Isaacs Shop has been reported to have gone up in a fireball".

No

No, He could not be gone.

Fleurs voice in his ear barely registered as all he saw was black.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

About a week later French Leaders meet in the Delcour Kitchen to discuss the war effort.

Harry felt numb but he wanted to do something to help out in the war.

Sebastian started by talking.

"We think the Death Eaters'll will make their push sometime next summer or fall, and it'll take most of that time to get our supposed allies on board, let alone prepared."

To those who went through the first war, I would like to emphasize that this is not the same war that was fought a decade and a half ago. That war was a slow, methodical advance against our society. This war follows the doctrine of Lightning war'.Voldemort has been heavily recruiting for some time right under the nose of the British Ministry. Last night, we received word that he has close to a thousand Death Eaters at his command."

Dismay ran through the room. "How sure are we of the information and the source?" someone asked.

"How did he get so many followers?" a witch asked.

"I said he was heavily recruiting, didn't I?" Sebastian sniped. He didn't like repeating himself.

Secretary Castaner cleared his throat. "We had received reports of prison breaks."

"Azkaban?" someone inquired.

"I said breaks, plural. Not just Azkaban, but Wizarding prisons of South Africa, India, the US, Australia, Russia, Zambia, and Yemen, and probably others we don't know about. Next, you're going to be asking how we found out about all of them. . . we were notified."

We've been getting reports of Death Eater activity across the continent."

Appoline paled. "They're here? In France?"

"Not yet, but there's been sightings in Italy, Germany, one in Belgium, a couple in Bulgaria and Estonia, and a few other places.

"That's a lot of places" Harry pointed out.

"Unfortunately, yes. If we're not careful, it's going to blow up into a Wizarding World War. There isn't a country that's safe now,

They all blanched at that idea.

It would be horrible if the British Conflict lighted the world on fire

May Merlin save them all.

XXXXXXXXXX

Harry got back from the meeting late at night.

He greeted his wife in their bedroom.

"Sorry Fleur" Harry apologized "The meeting ran on longer than expected"

'I don't care about that right now,' Fleur said, silencing him by pressing her finger to his lips. 'You can tell me all about that in the morning.' She flicked her wand at the door, shutting and locking it. 'I've missed being with you,' she murmured, slipping her hands into his hair. 'I've missed being able to do this as well,' she teased, pushing herself close against him and enjoying every inch of his reaction to her closeness.

She'd never wanted anything quite so much as she wanted to feel him against her in this instant.

Pregnancy had made her really horny.

A brief flare of blue sparks scorched his robes from his torso, letting Fleur's fingers slip over his skin as the transfigured robes reverted and fell from his shoulder. It was so much more satisfying than touching him through his clothes that she almost gasped in relief.

Harry's hands were drifting under her top, a provocative heat that slid up her back and round over her stomach to brush teasingly along the sensitive underside of her breasts. The sensation was maddeningly arousing, feeding the flames of her desire with each unfulfilled promise of further pleasure.

Fleur kissed him harder, flicking her tongue into his mouth, touching its tip teasingly to the end of Harry's. Her fingers drifted lower, tracing the outline of his abdomen as they dropped dangerously low, provoking him as he was her.

She could feel how much he wanted her, she could feel it pressed against her, in the desperation of his kisses and the way he wanted to touch every inch of her, but his hands never did more than stray close to where she most wanted to be touched.

His fingers slid upwards over stomach again, drawing searing hotlines over her skin, and this time she leaned into the contact, stifling a gasp into Harry's mouth as his fingertips brushed over her rigid nipple.

It broke the last of his reluctance to touch her, and somehow her top was gone and his hands moving over every part of her, his kisses trailing down her neck. Fleur moaned once as his lips brushed the hollow of her throat, then twisted him around over her on the bed, biting her lip when his kisses ghosted across her chest.

She twisted her hands in his hair, pressing her lips together as his tongue traced soft circles around her areola. Her need for him was growing unbearable. Harry's lips came up to kiss her even as she scorched away the last of their clothes.

Fleur didn't need to tell him what she wanted next.


	84. Chapter 84

Chapter 83

July 10th, 1996

Senate Press Room

The French Government had finally decided to do something about Voldemort.

Sebastian had announced that he would be formally introduceing a resolution in the Senate that would result in Magic France being in a state of war against the Death Eaters of Lord Voldemort.

Polls showed that Seventy Eight Percent of French Society supported doing something before Voldermort became as big of a threat as he became in the first war.

So if you were to just look at the public opinion the bill would pass easily.

But in the field of politics, Harry was quickly learning that not everything was as clear cut as it would seem at the start.

Sebastian had gathered his staff to meet with RPR Party Leaders before they formally announced the bill to the press.

They would have to make a tough sell to several senators even from their own party.

The parts of the bill were basically as such

1 Recall of all retired Aurors who had left the force between the years of 1980 and 1995 to be formed into a reservist corps.

2 Implementation of a system where all free French Citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 would be required to join a sort of local militia unit organization

3 Broad authority would be given to the President to use French Auror Forces in an overseas role.

There were several other things involved in the bill but the basic idea was this.

If passed the bill would basically result in France becoming a police state in the name of national defense.

Sebastian did not want to have to implement martial law but it would be required to make sure that Death Eaters could not flood into France with ease like last time.

Noone wanted to make it easy for the Death Eaters to act with impunity as they did in the First Wizarding War.

But the idea of restricting the civil liberties of the average citizen made several people in Paris queasy.

Especially for the Senators that would be facing tough reelection campaigns in March of Nineteen Ninety Seven.

And ultimately that reluctance would make it hard for several Senators to vote for the war bill/

Harry's role over the next couple of weeks would be to participate in several meetings with Senators to get them to support Sebastian's legislation.

That meant that he would be having a lot more headaches coming up soon.

But right now he was meeting in Sebastian's office with several other congressional staff as they prepared before their two o'clock press conference in the Press Briefing Room.

Their legislation had been submitted to the Senate earlier in the day and now they would be heading to the press conference in twenty minutes.

Half a dozen people were currently in the office.

Sebastian,Senate Majority Whip Adolphe Bayard, Judiciary Chairman Christian Louboutin, Harry, Defense Secretary Raoul Salan and Minority Leader Charles Aznavour

They were all having a very spirited discussion.

"So one month is good enough for you to have your meetings with your constituents Charles" Bayard said looking at the Minority Leader.

Senator Aznavour nodded "That should be a good amount of time to hold our town halls," He said gruffly "Although you know that most of my members will not vote for your bill as it currently is and I know as a fact that not everyone in your caucus will support you on this'

"We will work out our differences amongst our own caucus," Sebastian said gruffly"We just want to work with you to get the votes scheduled"

Louboutin then spoke, "I have been speaking with Senator Moinette about having Judiciary hold a series of hearings on the week of August the Twelfth".

"I will let you work that out with her" Aznavour said "I already know that I will not vote to make France a bloody police state"

Sebastian chose to ignore that remark and looked at the clock "Well gentlemen I think we had better start heading towards the Press Room wouldn't you think"

The Senators got up and started to leave the office reviewing their papers before speaking to the press.

As they began walking down the corridors Sebastian came up beside Harry.

"You got all of that Harry," He asked.

Harry nodded "Yes here are the remarks you asked me to finish writing for your speech at the Defense Armoury," He said handing Sebastian a sheet of paper "Senator Deraismes also sent a message asking for a meeting:"

His Father in law looked over the papers Harry had handed him "Yes did Maria say what she wanted to talk about".

"She said It was about some problems she had with the crime bill your pushing along with a request to lead the Finance Committee after Senator Hazanavicius retires next year"

Sebastian waved his hand dismissively "Tell her that she can work that out with Adolphe and Micheal I'm still to busy to be worrying about the next Committee Chairs yet"

Soon they walked down a series of stairs and a bunch of hallways before they arrived in front of a conference room.

They waited for their group to be announced.

And soon a voice rang out from inside the room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen the President of the Republic of France and the Senate Majority Team"

Working hard to keep an even face their group of five people walked onto the stage.

Sebastian took the podium.

And all the rest of them just had to stand there.

"Good afternoon everyone"Sebastian said looking over the crowd of reporters "Thank you for being here and I would like to start off this press conference by bringing Secretary Salan to the front who will explain the bill that we have submitted to the Senate and how passing it will greatly increase France's National Security situation against the British Lord Voldemort"

"Thank you, Mr. President," Raoul said stepping up to the podium "We currently face a period of crisis in Europe today that is unmatched compared to anything we have had to face in the past Sixteen years and it is imperative that we take action".

As the Secretary Spoke Harry and the rest of the people started receiving important information through their headpieces.

When Sebastian had become president he had looked at the muggle technology of using headphone earpieces to communicate.

To deal with the problem of those not being compatible in a magical setting though Sebastian had spent much time getting specifically hotwired earpieces that work around magic.

They're where not a lot of those available though so Sebastian only gave the earpieces to top government officials.

Harry was one of those people entrusted with one of the communication devices although it had never been used for much recently.

But now there was someone on the other side who was feeding them worrying information.

The British Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge had been formally voted out of office.

Kingsley Shackelbolt had been installed as the interim minister of magic.

They had anticipated that Fudge may have ended up kicked out of office soon but not that quickly.

That could potentially mess up their plans.

They were hoping that Amelia Bones would be installed to replace Fudge someone who would accept help from Magical France a lot more than Shacklebolt would.

Harry saw that Sebastian had probably received the same news that he had if the barely suppressed scowl on his face was any indicator.

A Press Conference is really a horrible location to receive important information about an ongoing war.

But they could not leave just yet until they answered the press questions.

It would be too suspicious otherwise.

But Harry could almost hear his father in laws thoughts.

They were going to have a lot more work cut out ahead of them.

And then he would less time to spend with his wife.

Hopefully, Fleur would understand the workload that war can produce.

But still.

Bloody Hell this work was going to be fun.

He could almost taste the excitement


	85. Chapter 85

Chapter 84

August 12th, 1996

French Judiciary Conference Room

The opening day of debate in the Senate Judiciary Committee on the Measure to use French Forces against Voldermort had begun.

Before anyone would vote Judiciary would be spending three consecutive days to host a total of eighteen hours of debate on the bill.

And then if the measure passed through a vote in Judiciary it would be sent to the full Senate for a vote.

Sebastian had gotten a number of French and English officials to testify in front of the Judiciary Committee.

Chairman Louboutin slammed his gavel on the dais."This Meeting of the French Senate Committee on the Judiciary on the Twelfth of August of the year of nineteen ninety-six will come to order"

"May I ask the assembled witness to please stand and be sworn in".

Rasing to their feet the witness group rose their right hands

"Do you swear that the statements you state here are truthful to the best of your abilities and that you will provide this committee with the most up to date and accurate information available to you".

"I do" Everyone calmly said.

"Please be seated then," He said.

"We are here today to debate Resolution 443 the authorization of using French Ministry Forces in the War against Lord Voldemort and process the motion to a vote on the Senate Floor"

"It is the intention of the chair to recognize members of this committee to make their opening statements and to be allowed time to ask our distinguished panel of witnesses here today questions".

"The Chair will now recognize ranking member Moniotte to deliver her opening remarks".

"Thank you Monsieur Chairman"A blonde woman then started to speak "I would like to thank the Chairman for holding this Committee Hearing at this early time and for our witness for being able to attend,This a very historic measure that we are debating here and I would be most grateful for the ability to hear about the situation on the ground and what we can do here to help stop the violence in the safest possible way with minimal shedding of French blood".

"I think it is an important decision to be made to send our young men and women off to war and I thank the chairman for giving the time to properly debate the merits of this move,One of the most important measures that this Senate will vote on is measures of national security and the safety of our people and I think that everyone on both sides of the isle appreciates the time needed to debate something of this gravity.

"The Patriotic resolution that we are debating here today is made possible by the tireless work of bipartisan leadership including the Chairman and President Delcour and I strongly implore my colleagues to support the resolution currently crafted and being debated here today on the floor of this Senate Judiciary Committee

"The British Tom Marvolo Riddle otherwise known as Lord Voldemort is, to put it bluntly, a terrorist and someone that we can not ignore. In the First War against The Dark Lord and his followers, we stayed out of the initial part of the war until we were targeted ourselves. Due to the enemies strengthened position over the course of the war we suffered an unnecessary three thousand two hundred and seven dead along with two thousand five hundred and two injured losses that our nation has found hard to replace or to forget .Mr. Chairman I lost ten family members in that war and I know the importance of swift and decisive action to prevent more unnecessary bloodshed on our country. We must stand up to tyranny or we will stand humiliated in front of humanity and the life of human history."

"We are all deeply committed on this committee and in this Senate to promoting and protecting the national security interests of the people of France from which we view the authorization of armed forces a very last but very poignant responsibility to uphold. All of us cast our votes and ask our questions in these important days in full accordance with our conscious and we are thus deserving of each other's respect and it is in this spirit Mr. Chairman that I welcome this debate and look forward to the testimony from those assembled here today and the views of my colleagues will attest to. I yield my time."

The chairman then spoke after the remarks.

"Thank you for that Senator Moniotte. The chair is going to request since it is my intention to allow all members of this committee to be able to ask their questions to the panel in a respectable amount of time that everyone on this committee stick to their period of questions to last for no longer than five minutes of which you can keep track off with our clock on the back of this chambers dias .

"The chair will recognize Senator Lenorman for the first round of questions".

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Measure ended up passing through the Judiciary Committee along party lines.

Three weeks later after the Senate had finished their debating Sebastian was finally getting to bring it up for a vote on the Senate floor.

Sebastian banged the gavel on the Presidential Senate Dias thereby opening up the session.

"The Chamber will come to order, The Chamber will come to order," Sebastian said" May it be a reminder to those in the galleries that expressions of approval or disapproval are not permitted in the Senate Chamber. Under the previous question, all debate time has expired and the question is on the Senate Bill 3689 otherwise known as the British Intervention Act".

"The Secretary of the Senate Madeleine Damerment will call the roll on the bill"

Sebastian looked out upon the anxious senators as they all started to vote.

Senator Adjani Non

Senator Delcour Oui

Senator Lenorman Oui

Senator Zola Oui

Senator Latham Oui

Senator Lender Non

Senator Deraismes Oui

Senator Turcat Non

Senator Verne Non

Senator Arnault Non

Senator Morgan Non

Senator Cassel Oui

Senator Garnier Non

Senator Peterhansel Non

Senator Réage Oui

Senator Cousteau Non

Senator Moniotte Oui

Senator Marvingt Non

Senator Bianchetti Oui

Senator Canet Oui

Senator Poulain Non

Senator Bresson Non

Senator Racine Oui

Senator Duriès Non

Senator Abitbol Oui

Senator Tourneur Non

Senator Huppert Non

Senator Hazanavicius Oui

Senator Ducasse Oui

Senator Yourcenar Non

Senator Aznavour Oui

Senator Cousteau Non

Senator Depardieu Non

Senator Montillet Non

Senator Giraudoux Oui

Senator Dezobry Oui

Senator Linder Non

Senator Carré Oui

Senator Éluard Non

Senator Guillem Oui

Senator Poiret Oui

Senator Bore Oui

Senator Braudel Non

Senator Casta Non

Senator Bayard Oui

Senator Sabatier Non

Senator Rubel Oui

Senator Carême Non

Senator Bernadis Oui

Senator Rigaudeau Oui

Senator Moreau Non

Senator Louboutin Oui

Senator Lenglen Oui

Senator Bonnaire Non

Senator Pinault Oui

Senator Grappelli Oui

Senator Braudel Non

Senator Bettencourt Oui

Senator Faidherbe Oui

Senator Perrault Non

Senator Rolfe Oui

Senator Semoun Non

Senator Perrault Oui

Senator Schueller Non

Senator Ricci Oui

Senator Rykiel Non

Senator Desailly Oui

Senator Dessay Non

Senator Blanchot Oui

Senator Martinez Non

Senator Roussel Oui

Senator Caron Non

Senator Sarraute Oui

Senator Escoffier Non

Senator Debreu Oui

Senator Roussel Oui

Senator Hirtzler Non

Senator Veyrat Oui

Senator Dupuit Oui

Senator Ranhofer Oui

Senator Duverger Non

Senator Bathori Non

Senator Gribouille Oui

Senator Guilbert Non

Senator Kaprisky Oui

Senator Guyotat Non

Senator Larbaud Oui

Senator Deneuve Oui

Senator Agathe Non

Senator Feydeau Oui

Senator Girardot Non

Senator Villechaize Oui

Senator Gaudin Oui

Senator Auriol Oui

Senator Delahaye Oui

Senator Rozenthal Oui

Senator Dumont Non

Senator Vatel Oui

Senator Avril Oui

Senator Fréhel Oui

They had done it

Despite the resolution having made it through the Judiciary Committee, he was still unsure if it would have passed through the full Senate especially with the Senators who were nervous about 1997.

Now all that was left was to announce the results.

After calculating the results the Secretary spoke.

"Senators voting in the affirmative"

Delcour

Lenorman

Zola

Latham

Deraismes

Cassel

Réage

Moniotte

Bianchetti

Canet

Racine

Abitbol

Hazanavicius

Ducasse

Aznavour

Giraudoux

Dezobry

Carré

Guillem

Poiret

Bore

Bayard

Rubel

Bernadis

Rigaudeau

Louboutin

Lenglen

Pinault

Grappelli

Bettencourt

Faidherbe

Rolfe

Perrault

Ricci

Desailly

Blanchot

Roussel

Sarraute

Debreu

Roussel

Veyrat

Dupuit

Ranhofer

Gribouille

Kaprisky

Larbaud

Deneuve

Feydeau

Villechaize

Gaudin

Auriol

Delahaye

Rozenthal

Vatel

Avril

Fréhel

"Senators voting in the negative"

Adjani

Lender

Turcat

Verne

Arnault

Morgan

Garnier

Peterhansel

Cousteau

Marvingt

Poulain

Bresson

Duriès

Tourneur

Huppert

Yourcenar

Cousteau

Depardieu

Montillet

Linder

Éluard

Braudel

Casta

Sabatier

Carême

Moreau

Bonnaire

Braudel

Perrault

Semoun

Schueller

Rykiel

Dessay

Martinez

Caron

Escoffier

Hirtzler

Duverger

Bathori

Guilbert

Guyotat

Agathe

Girardot

Dumont

"On this vote, the affirmatives are fifty-four and those against are forty-six and the bill is passed."Sebastian announced Banging the gavel.

There were a few looks of satisfaction on the faces of some Senators but they all had the grim look on their faces that came with the understanding of the terrible work that lay ahead for them.

May Merlin help them.

**Author Note** In 1997 there are about 100,000 Magical People in France as a reference point.


	86. Chapter 86

Chapter 85

September 7th, 1996

Paris

It was official.

They were at war as of the moment that Harry saw Sebastian sign into law The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Death Eaters Resolution of 1996.

After the formal signing ceremony had concluded and Sebastian had spoken to the press he was going to formally give a radio address to the nation.

Harry had helped him write the speech and was looking forward to hearing it said.

Fleur and Harry were now at home caressing Fleurs very pregnant belly and waiting for Sebastian's Address to begin.

Soon the voice of Harry's father in law came over the radio.

_"My fellow countrymen today I speak to you about an issue very important to us all" He began "_

_I have now called the Senate into an extraordinary session because there are serious, very serious, choices of policy to be made, and made immediately, which it was neither right nor constitutionally permissible that I should assume the responsibility of making._

_On the third of July of this year, I officially laid before you the extraordinary announcement of Lord Voldemort that on and after the first day of August it was its purpose to put aside all restraints of law or of humanity in his quest for world domination"_

_"The Dark Lord and his supporters are now engaged in a war against all nations of Europe. There will be no discrimination in this struggle. The challenge we now face is to all of mankind. Each civilized nation must decide for itself how it will meet it. The choice we make for ourselves must be made with a moderation of counsel and a temperateness of judgment befitting our character and our motives as a nation. We must put excited feelings away_

_Our motive will not for revenge of the past or the victorious assertion of the physical might of our nation, but only the vindication of right, of human rights, of which we are only a single champion._

_When I addressed the Senate on the twenty-sixth of July I thought that it would suffice to assert our neutral rights with arms and to declare our right to keep our people safe against unlawful violence. But armed neutrality, it now appears, is impossible._

_. Armed neutrality is ineffectual enough at best; in such circumstances and in the face of our current pretensions it is worse than ineffectual: it is likely only to produce what it was meant to prevent; it is practically certain to draw us into the heat of war without either the rights or the effectiveness of belligerents. There is one choice we cannot make, we are incapable of making: we will not choose the path of submission and suffer the most sacred rights of our Nation and our people to be ignored or violated._

_The wrongs against which we now array ourselves against are no common wrongs; they cut to the very roots of human life._

_And with a profound sense of the solemn and even tragical character of the step, I thus asked of the Senate and of the grave responsibilities which it involves but in unhesitating obedience to what I deem my duty,_

_I advised that the Senate declare the recent course of Lord Voldemort and his allies to be in fact nothing less than war against the government and people of France; that it formally accept the status of belligerent which has thus been thrust upon it, and that it take immediate steps not only to put the country in a more thorough state of defense but also to exert all its power and employ all its resources to bring the enemy to terms and end the war._

_What this will involve is clear. It will involve the utmost practicable cooperation in counsel and action with those now at war with our enemies and, as an incident to that, the extension to those governments of the most liberal financial credit, in order that our resources may so far as possible be added to theirs. It will involve the organization and mobilization of all the material resources of the country to supply the materials of war and serve the incidental needs of the Nation in the most abundant and yet the most economical and efficient way possible._

_It will involve the immediate addition to the armed forces of the Republic of France already provided for by law in case of war at least five thousand men, who should, in my opinion, be chosen upon the principle of universal liability to service, and also the authorization of subsequent additional increments of equal force so soon as they may be needed and can be handled in training. It will involve also, of course, the granting of adequate credits to the English Government, sustained, I hope, so far as they can equitably be sustained by the present generation, by well-conceived taxation._

_I say sustained so far as may be equitable by taxation because it seems to me that it would be most unwise to base the credits which will now be necessary entirely on money borrowed. It is our duty, I most respectfully urge, to protect our people so far as we may against the very serious hardships and evils which would be likely to arise out of the inflation which would be produced by vast loans._

_In carrying out the measures by which these things are to be accomplished we should keep constantly in mind the wisdom of interfering as little as possible in our own preparation and in the equipment of our own military forces with the duty- for it will be a very practical duty-of supplying those at war with the materials which they can obtain only from us or by our assistance. They are in the field already and we should help them in every way to be effective there._

_I shall take the liberty of suggesting, through the several executive departments of the Senate, for the consideration of the committees, measures for the accomplishment of the several objects I have mentioned._

_I hope that it will be a pleasure to deal with them as having been framed after very careful thought by the branch of the Government upon which the responsibility of conducting the war and safeguarding the Nation will most directly fall._

_While we do these things, these deeply momentous things, let us be very clear, and make very clear to all the world what our motives and our objects are. My own thought has not been driven from its habitual and normal course by the unhappy events of the last two months, and I do not believe that the thought of the Nation has been altered or clouded by them._

_Our object now, as then, is to vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the life of the world as against selfish and autocratic power and to set up amongst the really free and self governed peoples of the world such a concert of purpose and of action as will henceforth ensure the observance of those principles Neutrality is no longer feasible or desirable where the peace of the world is involved and the freedom of its peoples and the menace to that peace and freedom lies in the existence of autocratic governments backed by organized force which is controlled wholly by their will, not by the will of their people._

_We have seen the last of neutrality in such circumstances. We are at the beginning of an age in which it will be insisted that the same standards of conduct and of responsibility for wrong done shall be observed among nations and their governments that are observed among the individual citizens of civilized states._

_A steadfast concert for peace can never be maintained except by a partnership of democratic nations. No autocratic government could be trusted to keep faith within it or observe its covenants. It must be a league of honor, a partnership of opinion. Intrigue would eat its vitals away; the plottings of inner circles who could plan what they would and render account to no one would be a corruption seated at its very heart._

_We are now ready to accept the gauge of battle with the natural foe to liberty and shall, if necessary, spend the whole force of the nation to check and nullify its pretensions and its power. We are glad, now that we see the facts with no veil of false pretense about them to fight thus for the ultimate peace of our world and for the liberation of its people,_

_Our world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve._

_We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when those rights have been made as secure as the faith and the freedom of nations can make them. Just because we fight without rancor and without selfish object, seeking nothing for ourselves but what we shall wish to share with all free peoples, we shall, I feel confident, conduct our operations as belligerents without passion and ourselves observe with proud punctilio the principles of right and of fair play we profess to be fighting for._

_We enter this war only where we are clearly forced into it because there are no other means of defending our rights._

_It will be all the easier for us to conduct ourselves as belligerents in a high spirit of right and fairness because we act without animus, not in enmity towards a people or with the desire to bring any injury or disadvantage upon them, but only in armed opposition to an irresponsible group which has thrown aside all considerations of humanity and of right and is running amuck._

_It is a distressing and oppressive duty which I much perform in thus addressing you. There are, it may be many months or even years of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead these great peaceful people into war._

_But the right is often more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts, for democracy, and for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own Governments,_

_As Commander in Chief of our Army, I have directed that all measures be taken for the matter of our defense._

_But always will our whole Nation remember the character of the enemy currently arrayed against us._

_No matter how long it may take us to overcome this enemy whether it takes one year ten years or more, the French people I know in our righteous might will win through to absolute victory._

_Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger._

_The whole question of home defense is, of course, powerfully affected by the fact that we have for the time being incomparably more powerful military forces than we have ever had at any moment in the last war. But this will not continue. We shall not be content with a defensive war._

_We must put our defenses into such a high state of organization that the fewest possible numbers will be required to give effective security and that the largest possible potential of offensive effort may be realized._

_We have found it necessary to take measures of increasing stringency, not only against enemy aliens and suspicious characters of other nationalities but also against French citizens who may become a danger or a nuisance should the war be transported to our soil. I know there are a great many people affected by the orders which we have made who are the passionate enemies of Voldemort's group. I am very sorry for them, but we cannot, at the present time and under the present stress, draw all the distinctions which we should like to do._

_With confidence in our armed forces and with the unbounding determination of our people, I know that we will gain the inevitable triumph so help us, God._

_Thank You._

**Author Note** I know that speech will not make sense to a lot of people

Basically, it was Sebastian addressing the nation as a whole in his role as the Commander in Chief of French Forces and trying to get them prepared for the struggle to come.

A Patriotic message to rally people behind the war effort.

There will not be major fighting just yet as France still will need time to conscript people into a form of an army that can go into England. and to make sure that the country gets on a war footing.


	87. Chapter 87

Chapter 86

October 9th, 1996

French Senate

Harry sat down in his chair as Defense Secretary Salan opened up the National Security Meeting.

"The situation in England is rapidly deteriorating," He said grimly "English Aurors have now been in multiple engagements with Death Eaters that have unfortunately resulted in many more Auror casualties than Death Eater losses on account of Albus Dumbledores insistence on a non-leathal fighting style to fight the enemy"

Sebastian looked worried at that "Fools" He muttered under his breath before speaking to the Secretary "How long do we think the English can hold the Death Eaters at bay"

"We are not sure," Secretary Salan said "By our best estimates no longer than a year before the Ministry is overrun"

Everyone around the room sucked in their breath at that.

"How goes the progress of our own mobilization and our work to gain European Allies," Sebastian asked.

Interior Secretary Castaner spoke at the question "It's progressing ever so slowly" He said "We think we will be able to gather around five thousand fighters but not until next September or August at the earliest.

That was almost a whole year away.

And a year was how long the English Government was projected to hold.

Fuck.

Sebastian seemed to be of the same opinion "Is there anything we can do to accelerate the process" He asked.

Castaner shook his head "We have the Rapid Deployment Force that is gathering in Avranches but other than that it takes time to train people into a force that can be ready to fight in a pitched battle"

Sebastian nodded but indicated for the next person to speak with him looking to be deep in thought.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw a Senate aide enter the room and come up behind him.

He whispered in Harrys ear "Appoline Delcour would like to pass along a message to you that your wife has gone into labor" He said.

Harry's eyes widened "Thank you" He whispered.

Harry turned to Sebastian who was looking out of the corner of his eye at the exchange between Harry and the Senate Aide".

"Fleurs gone into labor" He whispered.

Sebastian's eyes widened "Go," He told Harry "I will go to the hospital once this meeting finishes up"

"Thanks," Harry said as he left his seat as quietly as he could.

Exciting the conference room he hurried as quickly as he could to a fireplace.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fleur gave an anguished scream

Harry clutched at Fleur's hand, trying but failing to calm her. Fleur was lying on a bed in the hospital waiting to give birth to their first child.

All of the extended Delcour family were waiting outside for news. The contractions were getting closer together as the hours passed and everyone was anxiously awaiting the birth of the first Delcour grandchild.

Fleur pushed with all her might and squeezed her husband's hand so tight it hurt but Harry knew that was nothing compared to what she was feeling. Two minutes later, their first child was born.

"Congratulations! You have a baby girl weighing 7.8 pounds and perfectly healthy," the midwife said.

She then handed the squirming pink bundle to Fleur who cradled her new baby girl in her arms and tears of joy came running down her face. Harry looked over her shoulder smiled at his little girl.

"What shall we call her," he asked Fleur.

"I was thinking of Elena, What do you think?" she said.

"That seems good what about a middle name? I was thinking of Jean," Harry suggested.

"I love it. Elena Jean Delcour," Fleur said smiling down at the bundle in her arms.

Elena opened her bright blue eyes and gave a tiny smile to her mother and father. She yawned a little yawn and snuggled up to her mother.

Little Elena was in every way like her mother with a short tuft of blond hair and blue eyes.

Harry asked "Can I hold her," and Fleur handed her over carefully in fear she might drop her.

"We should let the family in soon," he said holding Elena to his chest.

"You're right let's get them in here as soon as possible," she replied.

They stayed in the birth room for another five minutes both still staring peacefully at their daughter. Then Harry gave Elena back to Fleur and went to get the family from the waiting room.

Harry led the new grandparents through to Fleur's room and straight away Appoline and the other adult women started cooing over Elena while Sebastian looked over their shoulder.

Next in was Gabrielle whom Fleur and Harry had easily agreed should be the godmother to Elena.

Everyone had a fun time holding the little baby although Harry still could not help but feeling anxious seeing them handle his baby girl.

It was also interesting to see the excited look on Sebastian's face upon seeing his granddaughter.

Who knew that the leader of France and one of the most powerful people in the magical world could be so emotional.

But in the middle of the celebrations, he saw the look of anticipation pass over Sebastains face upon looking at Elena.

Harry didn't need Legilimency to see what his father in law was thinking.

It was a worry Harry had felt more and more recently.

Was it such a good idea to bring new life into a world that is becoming rapidly consumed by the flames on war.

He hoped that they did not make the wrong decision.

But there was always a chance that members of Elena's family could perish in the war.

Could he really put her up to that?

Harry was going to be a very active participant in the war.

Could he live with himself if Elena became an orphan?

No.

He needed to dispel those thoughts.

They were going to work too hard to make sure they all made it through this thing.

He had to make it through the war.

For Elena.

Whenever there was peace his daughter would have two parents to raise her.

There was no other way.

As Sebastian walked to leave the room alongside Appoline he pulled Harry to the side.

"Congratulations are in order I believe," He said "I wish you the best of luck in raising a child"

"Thank you" Harry nodded "I will try to be at work on Monday"

Sebastian shook his head "No I'm giving you two and a half weeks of paid leave to spend with your daughter" He said.

Really.

"Thank you sir" Harry managed to stutter out "I promise I will work just as hard when I get back"

"I expect it," Sebastian said grimly "We have a war to manage"

He then patted Harry on the back and left the hospital alongside his wife.

Harry went back to check on Fleur and Elena.

Later on that evening, Fleur and Elena were discharged from the hospital after the healer said they were both in perfect health. The happy family flooed back to the house with Elena safe in Harry's arms.

They collapsed on the sofa in the lounge after a long and tiring day.

**Author Note** Well they have their first child now

And right at the moment that the war starts to escalate.

I will also not say who but there will be members of the Delcour Family who lose their lives in the war.

If you are into battle scenes I think you will like the scenes I am writing.

And i know that not everyone is interested in this politics but later i intend for Harry to run for the French Senate as a job.

So its going to be more important later on.


	88. Chapter 88

Chapter 88

November 1st, 1996

France

Harry exited the fireplace into one of the bottom chambers of the French Presidential Palace

When Sebastian had called him late at night he had not been that specific on what was exactly going on.

From what he had managed to gather something bad was happening with the Death Eaters.

He did not think that based on Sebastains tone that France was under attack.

But what could be happening to have Sebastian call a Emergency meeting of the National Security Council?

It had to be serious.

Harry arrived at the Briefing Room as it was called.

Oh

Apparently, Sebastian had decided to summon the entire of the French Nation Security Council

That currently Consisted of

Sebastian

Majority Whip Adolphe Bayard

Secretary of State Raoul Salan

Secretary of Defense Roxana Mărăcineanu

Secretary of the Treasury Bruno Le Maire

Intelligence Advisor Agnès Buzyn

Director of National Intelligence Muriel Pénicaud

National Security Advisor Frédérique Vidal

Attorney General Nicole Belloubet

Secretary of Homeland Security Michel Polnareff

Ambassador to the International Confederation of Wizards Alain Souchon

And Harry himself.

This must be important then.

In his fifteen months of working in Sebastains Administration the only time the whole council had to meet was shortly after France entered the war.

As Harry sat down in his seat next to the Secretary of State and Attorney General he felt incredibly nervous.

He waited for the meeting to begin.

Sebastian finally spoke upon seeing that everyone was in the room.

"Thank you for being here at such a short notice and at such a late time," He said grimly "I know its late right now but Raoul has some information to update the rest of us on"

Everyone in the group looked towards the secretary who began to speak.

"Shortly about an hour ago we received news from Ambassador Schirdewan that Death Eaters have attacked various prisons in Germany including Nurmengard Castle in Austria"

They're where dismayed looks around the room.

Wasnt their some important people kept in Nurmengard.

Secretary Salan then continued "Several prisoners have been released who were disciples and followers of the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald"

Someone then tried to ask a question from the other side of the room.

It was Attorney General Belloubet.

"What happened to Grindelwald," She asked.

Secretary Salan breathed in and looked to Secretary Mărăcineanu

She began to speak "From what information we have been able to gather we believe Grindlewald was killed in the Break-In Attack by the German Aurors according to the Death Eaters"

"We have no reason to trust what they have to say" Someone grumbled from a corner of the room.

"Indeed" Sebastian noted "The Death Eaters could have very well have killed Grindlewald and blamed it on the Germans but we don't have enough information to make a decision yet"

"Have the Death Eaters gone everywhere else?" Secretary Polnareff asked.

Mărăcineanu nodded "Five minutes ago we received news from General Asselineau that a small team of Death Eaters had attacked the Millau Viaduct"

Several people around the room let out audible gasps.

"How many are their" Harry asked.

Mărăcineanu looked worried "We are not quite sure but Asselineau has reassured us that they are doing all right and will probably beat of the enemy soon"

Bayard was rubbing his forehead "So France has then been attacked for the first time then"

"Unfortunately" Sebastian replied to his deputy before turning to Ambassador Suchon "With the recent Nuremgard attacks is it more likely that Germany would be willing to join our Coalition against Voldemort"

The ICW Ambassador seemed timid to speak but finally "I'm not sure yet until i can speak more with the German Foreign Minister more but it is a possibility that Germany would be more willing to send people to our Coalition army depending on how many Germans have died in the recent attacks"

Sebastian turned to look at Homeland Security Secretary Polnareff "Micheal" He began "I don't believe that our intelligence services had warned us about an attack on the Viaduct had they"

"No we did not Mr. President," The Secretary said meekly.

Sebastian looked over at his Intelligence people "Well is there any reason why a group of Death Eaters was able to slip into Southern France undetected" He demanded.

Buzyn ended up speaking "We did not expect that the Death Eaters would not be moving into Europe until they had defeated the English Mr. President so we were not prepared just yet with a lot of resources being occupied with helping to train the new recruits"

"Unacceptable," Sebastian said looking around as his cabinet "Many of you I know where around to remember the first war and what we should have learned from that is that the Death Eaters have the capability to attack multiple targets across the English Channel even when they are fighting the English"

"Or have the past fifteen years of peace dulled your senses for anticipating the Death Eaters moves".

"Why would they attack the Viaduct and Nurmengard though"Pénicaud pondered.

"It's the fifteenth anniversary"Harry realized.

He then looked up and saw others looking at him.

Oh

Did he just say that out loud?

"Please continue Harry," Sebastian said

Harry after a second continued along his train of thought.

"Today is the fifteenth anniversary of Voldemort's first defeat so he probably wanted to do something today to make a point" Harry explained.

"That makes sense" Sebastian murmured "That seems like something that that bastard would want to do by targeting our largest bridge"

The next person ended up speaking and the remainder of the meeting dragged on for nearly an hour.

They all then went home to try and get some sleep before another busy day tomorrow no doubt.

Before he headed back into the fireplace Sebastian stopped him for a second.

"Harry" He called out "I'm sorry that I had to call you away from Fleur tonight I really would try to avoid that as much as possible"

"Its ok" Harry said "The War planning comes first and foremost but I would like to get home to my wife and daughter now"

"Yes of course," Sebastian said shaking his head "Well give Fleur my best and I will see you tomorrow," He said before heading into the fireplace.

Harry sighed and headed into the fireplace to go home.

It was already close to 11 PM.

He stumbled up the stairs and into the bedroom.

Fleur was somehow still somewhat awake.

She seemed almost asleep but was still awake none the less.

"Harry," She said softly.

"Hey darling," Harry said reaching down and kissing Fleur softly on the cheek "Your still up"

She nodded as Harry settled into bed next to her "The baby kept me up" She said.

"Sorry" He whispered."The meeting lasted longer than expected"

"Don't want to hear about it," Fleur said yawning "I'm just happy to have my usband with me"

She then decided to cuddle up to Harry resting her head in his chest.

He wrapped his arm around his wife's waist as he started to drift off to sleep.

There was another big day at work tomorrow and a good chance the baby would wake them up.

But for now, he was just content to fall asleep with his wife as peaceful as he ever could be.

**Author Note** I have been hearing from a lot of people that the government scenes are boring.

Well, right now Harry's job is the Chief of Staff to the President of France.

He is going to be involved in the French Government a lot in this story series including a run for the Senate later.

I respect your opinions if you don't like the government scenes but there will be a lot more of them as its Harrys job at the moment.

But there will be other things going on except what happens in the French Government.


	89. Chapter 89

Chapter 88

November 1st, 1996

France

Harry exited the fireplace into one of the bottom chambers of the French Presidential Palace

When Sebastian had called him late at night he had not been that specific on what was exactly going on.

From what he had managed to gather something bad was happening with the Death Eaters.

He did not think that based on Sebastains tone that France was under attack.

But what could be happening to have Sebastian call a Emergency meeting of the National Security Council?

It had to be serious.

Harry arrived at the Briefing Room as it was called.

Oh

Apparently, Sebastian had decided to summon the entire of the French Nation Security Council

That currently Consisted of

Sebastian

Majority Whip Adolphe Bayard

Secretary of State Raoul Salan

Secretary of Defense Roxana Mărăcineanu

Secretary of the Treasury Bruno Le Maire

Intelligence Advisor Agnès Buzyn

Director of National Intelligence Muriel Pénicaud

National Security Advisor Frédérique Vidal

Attorney General Nicole Belloubet

Secretary of Homeland Security Michel Polnareff

Ambassador to the International Confederation of Wizards Alain Souchon

And Harry himself.

This must be important then.

In his fifteen months of working in Sebastains Administration the only time the whole council had to meet was shortly after France entered the war.

As Harry sat down in his seat next to the Secretary of State and Attorney General he felt incredibly nervous.

He waited for the meeting to begin.

Sebastian finally spoke upon seeing that everyone was in the room.

"Thank you for being here at such a short notice and at such a late time," He said grimly "I know its late right now but Raoul has some information to update the rest of us on"

Everyone in the group looked towards the secretary who began to speak.

"Shortly about an hour ago we received news from Ambassador Schirdewan that Death Eaters have attacked various prisons in Germany including Nurmengard Castle in Austria"

They're where dismayed looks around the room.

Wasnt their some important people kept in Nurmengard.

Secretary Salan then continued "Several prisoners have been released who were disciples and followers of the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald"

Someone then tried to ask a question from the other side of the room.

It was Attorney General Belloubet.

"What happened to Grindelwald," She asked.

Secretary Salan breathed in and looked to Secretary Mărăcineanu

She began to speak "From what information we have been able to gather we believe Grindlewald was killed in the Break-In Attack by the German Aurors according to the Death Eaters"

"We have no reason to trust what they have to say" Someone grumbled from a corner of the room.

"Indeed" Sebastian noted "The Death Eaters could have very well have killed Grindlewald and blamed it on the Germans but we don't have enough information to make a decision yet"

"Have the Death Eaters gone everywhere else?" Secretary Polnareff asked.

Mărăcineanu nodded "Five minutes ago we received news from General Asselineau that a small team of Death Eaters had attacked the Millau Viaduct"

Several people around the room let out audible gasps.

"How many are their" Harry asked.

Mărăcineanu looked worried "We are not quite sure but Asselineau has reassured us that they are doing all right and will probably beat of the enemy soon"

Bayard was rubbing his forehead "So France has then been attacked for the first time then"

"Unfortunately" Sebastian replied to his deputy before turning to Ambassador Suchon "With the recent Nuremgard attacks is it more likely that Germany would be willing to join our Coalition against Voldemort"

The ICW Ambassador seemed timid to speak but finally "I'm not sure yet until i can speak more with the German Foreign Minister more but it is a possibility that Germany would be more willing to send people to our Coalition army depending on how many Germans have died in the recent attacks"

Sebastian turned to look at Homeland Security Secretary Polnareff "Micheal" He began "I don't believe that our intelligence services had warned us about an attack on the Viaduct had they"

"No we did not Mr. President," The Secretary said meekly.

Sebastian looked over at his Intelligence people "Well is there any reason why a group of Death Eaters was able to slip into Southern France undetected" He demanded.

Buzyn ended up speaking "We did not expect that the Death Eaters would not be moving into Europe until they had defeated the English Mr. President so we were not prepared just yet with a lot of resources being occupied with helping to train the new recruits"

"Unacceptable," Sebastian said looking around as his cabinet "Many of you I know where around to remember the first war and what we should have learned from that is that the Death Eaters have the capability to attack multiple targets across the English Channel even when they are fighting the English"

"Or have the past fifteen years of peace dulled your senses for anticipating the Death Eaters moves".

"Why would they attack the Viaduct and Nurmengard though"Pénicaud pondered.

"It's the fifteenth anniversary"Harry realized.

He then looked up and saw others looking at him.

Oh

Did he just say that out loud?

"Please continue Harry," Sebastian said

Harry after a second continued along his train of thought.

"Today is the fifteenth anniversary of Voldemort's first defeat so he probably wanted to do something today to make a point" Harry explained.

"That makes sense" Sebastian murmured "That seems like something that that bastard would want to do by targeting our largest bridge"

The next person ended up speaking and the remainder of the meeting dragged on for nearly an hour.

They all then went home to try and get some sleep before another busy day tomorrow no doubt.

Before he headed back into the fireplace Sebastian stopped him for a second.

"Harry" He called out "I'm sorry that I had to call you away from Fleur tonight I really would try to avoid that as much as possible"

"Its ok" Harry said "The War planning comes first and foremost but I would like to get home to my wife and daughter now"

"Yes of course," Sebastian said shaking his head "Well give Fleur my best and I will see you tomorrow," He said before heading into the fireplace.

Harry sighed and headed into the fireplace to go home.

It was already close to 11 PM.

He stumbled up the stairs and into the bedroom.

Fleur was somehow still somewhat awake.

She seemed almost asleep but was still awake none the less.

"Harry," She said softly.

"Hey darling," Harry said reaching down and kissing Fleur softly on the cheek "Your still up"

She nodded as Harry settled into bed next to her "The baby kept me up" She said.

"Sorry" He whispered."The meeting lasted longer than expected"

"Don't want to hear about it," Fleur said yawning "I'm just happy to have my usband with me"

She then decided to cuddle up to Harry resting her head in his chest.

He wrapped his arm around his wife's waist as he started to drift off to sleep.

There was another big day at work tomorrow and a good chance the baby would wake them up.

But for now, he was just content to fall asleep with his wife as peaceful as he ever could be.

**Author Note** I have been hearing from a lot of people that the government scenes are boring.

Well, right now Harry's job is the Chief of Staff to the President of France.

He is going to be involved in the French Government a lot in this story series including a run for the Senate later.

I respect your opinions if you don't like the government scenes but there will be a lot more of them as its Harrys job at the moment.

But there will be other things going on except what happens in the French Government.

Also i have decided to write a few Potter Family/Harry interaction scenes for later

Those will not be happening for another couple chapters though


	90. Chapter 90

Chapter 89

June 30th, 1997

France

The Death Eaters had been very silent recently.

To silent in fact.

And that was worrying to them all.

Ever since the October Attacks on various targets across Europe Voldemort and his forces had been conducting the war effort in a sort of low key system.

The news coming from England was that the Death Eaters had stopped engaging the Aurors in pitched fights and had taken to wearing them down in a series of hit and run raids that were very similar to the muggle strategy of guerilla warfare.

It was a strategy that would weaken the ministry although it would take longer with an incremental strategy than an all-out attack.

And that was confusing because the Death Eaters definitely had the strength for an attack on the ministry.

But the strategy made perfect sense if Voldemort's strategy was to try and take over the British Government with as little damage to his own forces as possible.

It sucked for the British that Voldemort was doing that but it definitely gave the French more time to fully mobilize and get ready for war.

Harry would never fully understand why it would take a year for France to mobilize.

That seemed like a major national security problem.

But that was not his job to work out although he now had to speak out about that.

In January Sebastian had decided to add to his job the role of Communications Director.

It was an important role that would lead to Harry becoming more of a senior public relations member

He had decided to then leave his role as Chief of Staff to become Communications Director.

His new job was to help ensure that the administration's message was delivered clearly and successfully.

That involved a lot more of talking in public than he had to do in the past.

There was definitely less work in terms of hours that he had to spend in meetings

So he was then able to spend a bit more time with Fleur and Elena which was amazing.

But that now involved a new event he had to get used to

Joint Press Conferences with Press Secretary Jordan Bardella

The first time he had ever stepped into the Press Room next to Jordan it had definitely been a nervous time.

But Jordan had been in his position for three and a half years now and was quite accepting of his relative inexperience at talking to the press.

He had taken Harry under his wing so to say and taught him a bit about the intricacies of the job.

And his help had proved invaluable in helping make sure that Harry could now go into the Press Room and hold his own solo press conference.

But now with his increased role, Harry relied more and more on information coming from England to speak to the press about.

At this moment Harry was arriving to work and preparing for the Press Conference at three o'clock today.

As he stepped out of the fire he noticed that the building seemed a lot busier than usual today.

He wondered why.

That answer came to him soon enough.

A messenger soon summoned him to Sebastian's office.

Harry wondered what could be going on.

Sebastian had not needed to make very many summons recently due to not much relatively happening in the world right now.

Maybe something has happened with the Death Eaters.

Well, he would not fully know until he got to Sebastian's office though.

He saw more people than usual in the briefing room.

This was not normal.

Something important had probably happened.

Harry sat down in his seat and waited for the meeting to begin.

Sebastian soon walked into the room.

"I have bad news," He said grimly "Albus Dumbledore is dead"

Immediately the room broke out in people asking questions about what was going on.

Sebastian seemed to be still receiving information through his earpiece.

He got the meeting back into order after a few seconds.

"Ok," He said "I don't know much about what has happened at Hogwarts except that Dumbledore was killed on the Astronomy Tower and a group of Death Eaters were at the scene"

"What happened to the Death Eaters" Someone asked.

"They escaped Hogwarts" Sebastian replied "But other than that we don't know that much at the moment as the situation is still developing"

"How where the Death Eaters able to get in," Senator Cassel asked "Hogwarts Defenses are pretty strong if I remember correctly"

"Again I don't know the full story yet," Sebastian said "But I have decided that in an hour I will go on the radio to speak to the nation about what has happened before they have a chance to get panicked by the papers"

"How can you give a full story to the nation if we don't have all of the facts yet," Secretary Salan asked.

"We have to tell them what we know about Dumbledores death and release any more information we find out," He said "We can not allow the media to set the narrative on what is going on"

"What should I do about my press conference tonight," Harry asked "After your radio address the reporters will mostly want questions"

Sebastian seemed to think that for a second.

"The Press Conference can be rescheduled" Senator Bayard suggested.

"No that would not work," Sebastian said "We need to project strength and not having the press conference would make it seem that we are scared"

He then finally gave Harry his answer "I will talk to the press at three Harry" He said, "They deserve to hear from their commander in chief on these important events of the war".

"Ok," Harry nodded.

As Sebastian finished giving instructions Harry thought about what Dumbledores Death would mean for the war effort.

He did not particularly like Dumbledore nor did he really dislike the man.

But no one could underestimate the power Albus Dumbledore commanded along with his ability to go head to head with Voldemort.

His loss would be a great victory for Voldemort and his forces.

And that would make their job significantly harder.

He would have to talk with Fleur about working on their wards as well as making sure they had an escape plan ready and in place, if their house was attacked.

Soon after the meeting finished Harry was looking over the notes Sebastian had thrown together for his radio address.

Sebastian was getting ready to go on the air when an aide came into the room.

"Sir there is a message from the English Ambassador," She said.

"Yes," Sebastian asked.

Harry felt worry creep in.

This could not be good news.

"He wished to tell you that the Death Eaters are attacking the British Ministry of Magic"

Well fuck.

**Author Note** Within the next five chapters we will have the first few pitched battles of the Second Wizarding War.

France has now mobilized and will be soon ready to go on the offensive and Harry will be fully involved in the fighting to avenge Isaac.

Stay tuned for some interesting battles

And to answer something about Dumbledores death that did happen much the same way.

Isaac gave the diary to Dumbledore shortly before he died who then began to look for the Horcruxes.


	91. Chapter 91

Chapter 90

October 9th, 1997

France

The past few months had not been easy, to say the least.

Shortly after killing Albus Dumbledore the Death Eaters had launched an attack on the Ministry of Magic that left over two hundred dead.

Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt and a lot of the Ministry leadership had been killed in the attacks.

That had been quite a shock for a lot of people to hear.

But it had not been all bad news.

A good many of the English had been able to escape the country or either go underground to form resistance cells.

Harry did not know how effective those cells would be but they had lasted for around three months by this point and any distraction for the Death Eaters would make their job easier.

Sebastian had formed what he termed a European Coalition consisting of a force of close to six thousand fighters drawn from France, England, Germany and close to half a dozen European countries.

It was not a perfect group and they were still trying to get their organization system down as well as dealing with the language barrier.

Despite having more people than Voldermort though they could not concentrate all of those fighters into one location easily though.

They could be separated into lots of individual groups though that could act independently or in a larger group.

Sebastian had been working on making contact with the English Resistance cells from which they could start forming attack plans of their own for when they wanted to go into England.

It was not going to be easy but they had plans in the works already.

But those plans where for the future though.

Sebastian had given him the day off today for his daughter's first birthday.

They had worked hard to make sure that there would be nothing to distract him from the day with his family.

This was Elena's first birthday and Harry had no idea if they would be around to see her second birthday.

So it was going to be an important day.

Shifting to his side on the bed he saw Fleur was starting to wake up.

"Morning sweetheart," He said, "Special day today".

"Indeed" She giggled snuggling into his chest "I'm going to enjoy today"

Sighing Harry kissed his wife's forehead wrapping his arm around her waist.

He did enjoy the times he managed to spend some quality time with his wife.

That was becoming harder and harder to do with the current stage of the war that they were in.

Maybe this could happen more and more after the war was over but Harry had no idea how long that could last.

The First Wizarding War lasted for a decade, much of which was taken up with a sort of guerilla fighting that had classified the past year.

But if that taught them anything it was that defeating Voldermort could take many years.

He hoped he did not take ten years or more to fight the war but they had to prepare for anything.

But he tried his best to banish those thoughts for the day as they walked to the bedroom to wake up their daughter for her birthday celebration.

"Wake up sweetie!" Fleur cooed. "It's your birthday!" Elena smiled and reached up, trying to grab Fleur. Fleur picked Elena up and changed her diaper before taking her downstairs so they could all eat breakfast together.

"Happy Birthday darling!" Harry said, excitedly. Elena grinned and reached for her father.

"Hawwy!" Elena cried out. She hadn't quite figured out how to his name yet but Harry found it adorable.

Maybe she was just like her mother who still liked to say his name in her sexy drawl.

Some people may call that ridiculous but Harry liked her accent.

He did not have a French accent yet but that was probably due to him not growing up in France.

It would be interesting to see how much of an accent his daughter would end up having.

Fleur set the table for breakfast. Then Fleur and Harry heard a loud sound come from the kitchen. They turned around to see Elena with a crashed plate on the ground.

"Oh dear" Fleur gasped coming over to check on her daughter and make sure she was okay.

Harry looked at the shattered glass and he took his wand before repairing the plate back to normal.

He looked at the plate though and thought.

And then as a thought came to his mind a smile spread across his face.

"Fleur," Harry said, "I think our daughter has now had her first instance of accidental magic".

After making sure Elena was fine Fleur looked at the plate and seemed to think for a second.

"I think your right Arry," She said before looking at her daughter "Well done sweetheart your starting to do magic"

"And you have done magic at such a young age," Harry said grinning picking up Elena "I'm So proud of you darling"

Fleur was smiling looking at the two of them.

"Come on," She said, "We can go and eat before opening the presents people sent us".

Harry nodded and followed Fleur to the dining room table holding Elena in his arms.

Fleur had a small cake that she had gotten for her daughters birthday with a sign Happy Birthday Elena Jean Delcour

They sat down and put Elena in her high chair before sitting down to sing her happy birthday.

_Joyeux anniversaire_

_Joyeux anniversaire_

_Joyeux anniversaire mon cher Elena._

_Joyeux anniversaire_

Elena looked thoroughly confused by the end of the song but she also seemed quite excited at the same time.

Picking up Elena they then leaned in and blew out the candle.

Well, Harry and Fleur blew and Elena just looked at the cake in curiosity.

Fleur then divided the cake and Elena poked curiously at her little piece.

Both Fleur and Harry felt happy watching their daughter.

Harry wished that this happiness could last forever.

Sadly that would not be able to be the case though.

But he could enjoy the fun moments while he still had them.

He looked over at a small pile of presents their family had sent them for Elena's birthday.

Unfortunately, the current security situation meant that they could not have a true family birthday party.

But they still had presents that their daughter could enjoy.

"Can you go get Elena's presents Arry" Fleur asked seeing his gaze turn "We can bring them into the living room for her to open".

"Sure," Harry said getting up.

He could lift the pile with magic but he would prefer to do this one by hand.

As he was setting everything down in the living room he felt nice seeing his daughter and wife leaving the kitchen

He may not fully know when he could experience something like this again.

It may not even come for a very long time.

But he would damn well enjoy himself while he still had the chance though.

**Author Note** Happy First Birthday Elena.

Although the events leading up to this point have been roughly cannon from now on the battles are my own invention.

The Next Chapter will feature the first true pitched battle of the Second Wizarding War that will not be Harry trying to escape Diagon Alley.

Stay Tuned

Cheers


	92. Chapter 92

Chapter 90

October 31st, 1997

France

Members of the Coalition Army were now massed as one in Northern France near the English Channel

All around him Harry could hear the rustle of people's feet on the fall leaves as they prepared to Portkey into England

They would be attacking a Death Eater stronghold in the Forest of Dean and trying to inflict as much damage as possible before leaving

There were around a hundred fighters that would be going into England and most of them where currently clustered around Sebastian their gleaming eyes showing that they were ready for battle.

This was the first test of how well a group of English refugees, French Aurors, French conscripts and Germans could fight together.

The dawn light was growing stronger signaling that it would be time to leave soon.

'Members of Free Europe" Sebastian's voice rang out amongst the assembled fighters "The time has come to take Voldemort by surprise and show that we can hit them with just as much power as they can" He roared "Head out"

A great cheer rose up from amongst the group.

Harry felt anticipation about their chances in the upcoming battle.

Getting to the Forest of Dean would be easier said than done though.

They had been in extensive contact with the British Resistance Fighters one of which had been able to scout out around the Death Eaters Camps in the Forest of Dean.

Apparently, there were a lot of new Death Eaters in the remote areas near Gloucestershire that were now starting their training.

So it would be worth attacking the camp to get rid of their new fighters and to discourage new people from joining the Death Eaters voluntarily.

The hardest part of the whole raid though would be getting into an occupied England.

While it was true that the Death Eaters were in control of the government they did not control all of the country yet.

The British Resistance cells that had formed after the fall of the ministry controlled several safe houses across the country from which they could apparate into before traveling to another area.

They would be apparating into the safe area of the Weasley family burrow.

From there it was a short distance to the Forest of Dean and their attack site.

It was going to be a dangerous operation that was for sure.

But he felt encouraged knowing who he would be fighting alongside his friends.

Joe had came to France shortly after the Ministry had fallen and had offered himself to the French Military.

He wanted to help liberate his birth country from the tyranny of Voldemort.

And today they would be able to fight together side by side.

Harry saw Sebastian conferring with the German leader August Bachmann most likely the last time they would be able to before the battle.

Soon it was time for them to head to England.

Harry activated the portkey that would take them to Ottery St Catchpole.

He soon arrived in front of the Weasley Family hose.

"It was a nice place that looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen with extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked Harry was amazed that it was able to be held up by magic. Five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, The Burrow. Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard."

Harry was then quickly reminded though that they were preparing for battle, not sightseeing.

All around him the other coalition fighters were arriving in the yard.

Looking towards the structure Harry saw the Weasley Matriarch standing there looking at the groups of arriving French and Germans.

She came out to great Sebastian and the others.

He noticed that she was alone.

Made sense.

Sebastian had briefed them yesterday that Molly Weasley was in a very precarious position right now.

Two of her sons where currently dead Ronald and Bill Weasley who had been killed in the Attack on the Ministry.

Three of her children Fred, George and Ginerva had gone into hiding once the country had turned into hell.

Percy Wesley had decided to join the Death Eaters and Charlie Weasley was in Romania far away from the fighting.

And her husband had made the hard decision of working for the new regime although under intense scrutiny.

It was then sad seeing Molly Weasley today.

But she was tough if nothing else and held her head high as she went to talk with Sebastian.

Well, it turns out that to reach the Death Eater camp they would have to take an hour-long trek through the Welsh countryside.

That was tense for sure but they were pretty sure no one had spotted them.

It was too risky to apparate near the Forest of Dean and possibly alert the Death Eaters about their presence.

Eventually, they reached a ravine just south of their target.

Now the dangerous part of the operation began.

They all stopped for a few minutes to make sure they had their breath with them after walking single file for the past hour.

As Harry stood by the rock pile he nodded silently to Joe who raised his thumb showing that he was ready to go.

Their group then began to split up according to their plan.

Bachmann would take his people and a few others further north of the camp where they would prevent the Death Eaters from leaving through the Anti-Apparition Wards and later on would provide a valuable second wave of reinforcements.

And Harry would be going with Sebastian and the rest of the group to attack the main part of the camp.

Their hope was that if they got more Death Eaters to fight them it would make Bachman's job easier.

Only time would tell how this all went.

Sebastian soon gave the hand sign to start moving out and head into the forest.

Harry followed the rest of the group feeling worry rise in his belly.

His mind had automatically gone to how this could all go wrong.

But that could be just his worry at being in his first pitched battle.

No matter what happened today he had to return home at whatever cost it took to make sure he was able to see his family again.

As they began to walk Harry started reviewing the list of spells he knew making sure he had a few of the more deadly ones in the front of his mind and ready to go when needed.

All around him Coalition fighters began following their maneuvers and spread out along the tree line in a sort of wall of people.

Looking at the other faces surrounding him Harry saw worry etched on many peoples faces but also grim determination to finish what they had to do no matter what.

They all knew there was a chance they would not make it out of this forest today and that mentality was clear on everyone's face.

Soon as they arrived near the camp they saw a group of maybe four or so young Death Eaters walking through the woods.

They halted and looked in astonishment at the wall of advancing people.

"Attack": One of them screamed turning to run back to camp "Were under attack"

_"Avada Kedavra"_ Sebastian hissed preventing him from saying any more.

Coalition fighters were able to disable two of the other Death Eaters but one of them was able to escape far enough.

Fuck.

They should have known there was a chance of the Death Eaters having patrols.

Sebastian looked quite disheveled but gave the sign to advance.

Soon they arrived at the Death Eater camp that had several confused people emerging from their tents.

"ATTACK" Sebastian yelled _"Bombarda"_

Following the plan, everyone began splitting into predetermined groups and fired destructive curses up into the air that would hopefully land in the camp and cause chaos for the fuckers.

And the various explosions did not disappoint at all.

The Coalition then began to advance into the camp where they were soon met by a group of confused Death Eaters.

Dogging behind some trees a firefight of sorts broke out with the Death Eaters.

It was soon clear though that the Death Eaters were losing the fight.

They were out in the open while the Coalition fighters were ducking and firing from behind trees.

Added onto that was the fact that the Death Eaters had been completely surprised by the attack.

That was what hiking for an hour would give you though.

After losing several people to spellfire the Death Eaters realized the stupidity of being out in the open and started to stream back into the camp.

Looking to his side Harry saw that some of their people had been injured and he saw one or two that were not moving.

The Death Eaters seemed to be having a much worse time in terms of casualties though if the dead in front of them was any indicator.

Soon the Coalition Troops started storming into the Death Eaters camp.

The remaining Death Eaters finished coming out of their tents where they engaged the French in firefights that soon erupted across the entire camp.

Harry paired off with Joe and two other French wizards.

Seeing a Death Eater coming out of a tent he shot a blasting curse into his stomach.

After making sure he was killed they fired flames into the tent before moving on.

Looking outside he saw that Bachmann's group had joined the fight.

They were winning seeing the Coalition taking out multiple Death Eaters while losing comparatively few of their own.

In the center of the camp, he saw Bachmann who was dueling the leader of the Death Eaters.

Bachman seemed to be winning the fight and Harry looked for when he would deliver the killing blow.

But they seemed to be talking instead.

What the bloody hell was going on?

The Death Eater then said something to Bachmann.

The German Leaders eyes widened into a horrified look as he backed away from the Death Eater.

Whatever the message was it had clearly been delivered.

The Death Eater was gasping for breath and had several gashes across his body.

But strangely enough, Bachmann would not finish him off.

"Why would he not finish off the Death Eater commander," Harry thought "That's the point of this whole battle"

Bachmann cast a spell on his throat.

_"Germans"_ He yelled _"Retreat"_

Harry and many around him gasped in astonishment.

He could not understand why the German leader wanted to leave the battle when he had been so adamant on the idea in the first place.

"What could the Death Eater had said to him"

Harry saw many of the Germans start to follow their leader and using their portkeys to leave the battle.

An explosion of a barrel behind him made him realize that he should be focusing on the battle at hand and not be worrying about the Germans so much.

He hissed as the exploding barrel propelled wood into his body.

Gasping he redirected a lot of shrapnel back at his Death Eater opponent followed by a killing curse.

Looking around he saw a few of the French and English yelling at the Germans.

"Stop" Sebastian yelled over the heat of the battle "You can't leave us, We agreed"

But soon with the Germans gone that left the remaining Coalition fighters outnumbered and at a serious disadvantage.

Harry meets up with Joe and they joined in the fighting with desperate fury and determination.

He could clearly see though that the tide in the battle was turning. They were losing the fight with the Germans having left now and the rest of their forces giving way under a renewed Death Eater Attack.

There were clearly more of the enemy than they had originally estimated.

"This is a disaster," Harry thought disparagingly "And we planned this all so carefully, How did this happen".

He saw Sebastian in the distance looking disparagingly at the process of the battle.

Harry, as he fought through the camp, realized how the roles had been reversed.

Earlier they had been firing upon the exposed Death Eaters and now they were being fired upon by the Death Eaters who were using their tents as cover.

Harry realized a tough thought.

They could not win the battle now.

Sebastian had to order a retreat damn the consequences.

The French Leader seemed to be struggling with that thought.

But eventually, a call rose above the noise of the fighting.

_"Retreat"_ Sebastian yelled _"Retreat"_

The Death Eaters seemed to not be making that much of an effort to stop the Coalition fighters from escaping for some reason as many of them took their portkeys and fled the battle.

Harry grabbed onto his portkey and got it to send him away.

He landed into the field back in France that they had established to come back to after the Battle.

Looking around he saw many of the other coalition fighters were arriving back and all baring serious wounds.

He looked down and saw a few gashes that he had gotten during the battle.

And then

Oh fuck

Was this what a delayed pain reaction was.

Across the field, he saw many of the people who had stayed in France rush across to check on the returning fighters.

Many of those people were medical staff.

Looking he saw Fleur who upon seeing him arrive rushed ahead to check on him.

"Arry" She called out rushing out to hold onto him "What happened".

"We lost" He whispered, "My body hurts all over".

Looking quite worried his wife helped him into the medical wing to check on his injuries.

Harry looked at everyone else around him.

What the hell had just happened.

**Author Note** Well they lost this battle.

In a major there are wins and there are losses


	93. Chapter 93

**Author Note** This is Fleurs perspective of the Battle of the Forest of Dean.

Primarily focusing on some of her challenges raising a young child while worrying about a husband off at war

Chapter 92

October 31st, 1997

France

It was time for the war to truly start in earnest and Fleur couldn't be more worried.

Sebastian had finally decided that France and its allies would finally launch the first attacks on Voldermorts Britan.

And low and behold Harry would, of course, end up being in the group that would be attacking the Death Eaters.

Neither Harry or Sebastian would tell her where they were going due to the security concerns on the mission being compromised if to many people knew what they were doing.

But Fleur was sure of one fact that was for sure.

Her husband would be getting involved in what would probably be a very intense fight.

She had seen over the past few days when they where at home he would be looking over his books to make sure he was up to date on his knowledge.

Harry had also been trying to spend as much time with her and Elena as possible.

He said that with the recent long hours working in Paris he wanted to spend some more time with his family.

Fleur had no doubt that was part of the reason he was spending more time at home but also knew that was not the full reason.

She knew him well enough to know what was going on in his head without needing Legilamency.

Harry was worried that he would not survive the upcoming battle.

And to be honest she was worried as well.

They had a pretty decent life at the moment.

Fleur and Harry had now been married for close to two years and they had a beautiful daughter.

Several people had said that they were probably too young to be having kids at the moment but Fleur begged to differ on that.

Harry in his job as Communication Director was bringing in a comfortable salary for their family.

And while he did have to work long hours on occasions they were less than what her father had been working in the past.

That was probably on account though of Sebastian Delcour wanting to work hard to be President though.

Harry had already stated that even though he may join the Senate in the future he had no aspirations to rise to the Presidency.

He wanted to have as much of a balance between work and family as he could.

So that was nice.

But with the money, Harry made they were definitely able to take care of Elena.

And despite how young they were having their daughter was turning out to be a great decision.

Elena Delcour was proving to be a real joy to be around and she was definitely the jewel of her parent's eyes.

Maybe there was a point to be made about having a baby in the middle of a war.

But in the middle of such sadness of the war, Fleur felt happy that she was able to bring someone into this world that brought so much joy to all of those she met.

That was one way to combat sadness with happiness.

Along with the fact that her having a child officially exempted her from the draft.

.She would not have liked to be involved in the fighting.

Sure she knew how to defend herself but she preferred to help make people better instead of tearing them apart.

That is why she had been taking on learning how to be a nurse.

It was a good idea for after the war and Elena went off to school.

And it would allow her to play a part in the war by helping to heal the injured.

That would be what she is doing today.

Harry and the rest of the Coalition Army were preparing to leave for England.

They had left Elena with Gabby and a few of their cousins back at Delcour Manor.

With them, Fleur felt comfortable about her daughter's safety.

And Fleur would be very busy helping out with the injured after the battle was over.

She had just kissed her husband goodbye and watched as he went to join the crowd of other people that would be participating in the attack.

Hopefully, they would all be back within the next twenty-four hours all in one piece.

But Fleur knew that could not be the case.

They were in a war.

People were going to die.

The question was if amongst the dead would there be anyone she knew and cared about.

She would not be able to stand it if her husband or father were to not come home from the war.

Fleur was doing a good job raising Elena with Harry's help.

But by Merlin, she could never deal with having to raise a child on her own.

Realizing that looking at Harry for too long would cause her to continue to think bad thoughts she took one last look and left for the makeshift hospital wing they had set up

Her Mama was here and maybe it would be nice if she were to talk to her for a little bit to keep her mind of what was going on in England.

They had not had a real conversation in a while and maybe it was time to get caught up.

"Do we have everything ready?"Fleur asked her mother "I think we may need a few more burn potions"She said.

"Yes we have all of the potions we should need and more for the battle injuries," Appoline told her daughter.

Fleur then felt her mother lay her hand on her shoulder.

"Fleur," Appoline said calmly "Relax the fighters won't be back for a while and there is no use in worrying until then".

"I know Mama" Fleur sighed "It's so hard not to wonder what is going on though"

She looked at her mother and tried to relax "How do you deal with the anticipation so well Mama" She asked.

Appoline breathed in.

"While it is true I lived through the first war that did not make the pain of war any easier.

"in the Year of 1977 before you were born fifteen of my classmates and friends were murdered by Voldemort and his people'

"I now wonder what was the purpose of their sacrifices in a war that we have to fight all over again," Appoline said sighing.

"The people in your generation were raised on the heroic stories of the first war but not about the cold-hearted harshness of it all as well as the heartache you feel losing a friend you have know for years"

"None of you have any idea what's headed your way and have no concept of all the pain and suffering that will come along with it.

A chill crept up Fleur's spine. She sat down in a chair. "What do you mean . . . what's coming ?"

Appoline didn't say anything at first, but the emotions that played across her face scared Fleur. After a couple of minutes passed, she began to answer the question. "War changes people Fleur, and it will change everyone in this war especially for Harry.

Fleur felt cold as she listened to her mother getting emotional for the first time that she had heard in a long time.

At the end of this, all Harry will be is a shell of the person you love right now and it might be years before you get your old Harry back." A haunted expression crossed her face. "Something that you should know is that the man you find after this war will be very different from the man you know right now, and you are not going to like what you find at the end of this fucking tunnel."

Fleur recoiled in shock.

That was the first time she had ever heard her prim and proper mother curse.

"Was that what happened to Papa after the last war?"Fleur asked softly.

Appoline just nodded silently.

Her mother then spoke in a quiet voice. "I still remember your father after the last war; how he would sit down on the patio and not speak for hours on end, and I would sit with him"

"Tell me, Maman, when that war was over, did you like what you found?"Fleur asked.

Her mother's eyes had grown glassy and unfocused. "Those were awful times Fleur. I thought I'd lost Sebastian. Night after night, in his sleep he'd have night terrors, and all I could do was to wrap my arms around him and hold him dearly, pushing my love into him.

"How could you let him go off to war a second time," Fleur asked.

"If it was up to me none of you would have to be involved in this war," She said

I want so much to protect my family, hide us all away, and keep everyone safe, but I've learned that's not my place or role to decide".

"Your father after the war wanted so much to become president so he joined the Senate and rose through the ranks"

"I think the role of Commander in Chief leading French Forces into battle has been one of Sebastains greatest aspirations"

Appoline sighed. ".You've become so much like me Fleur. You and Harry remind me so much of me and Sebastian during the last three years of the war"

"I couldn't be prouder of you."She said.

Tears rolled down Fleur's cheeks. She used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe them dry. "No, Maman. I could never be as great as you are."

Appoline smiled sadly and then turned to the potions they had assembled.

"Well do you want to go over everything again," she asked.

Fleur just nodded.

The Coalition fighters should be returning home from England soon if everything had gone right.

Fleur was mentally going over the main healing spells that she would need to check the wounded and what they would be used for.

Brackium Emendo Used to mend broken bones

Episkey For minor injuries like broken noses

Ferula Used to bandage and splint broken bones

Reparifors Deals with Paralysis

Tergeo Siphons blood, dust or grease, off of the body

First thing first was to check out her husband's condition after the fighting though.

Soon the pop of arriving portkeys indicated that people were arriving.

And it was the coalition fighters.

But something was wrong.

They were all carrying various degrees of injuries that one might expect to come from a major battle.

But they looked a lot more dejected than what a victory should have produced.

What had happened.

She saw Harry soon arrive with the rest of the bloody fighters.

Looking she saw a host of injuries and cuts all over his body.

Merde.

What had happened.

She ran up to her husband.

"Arry" She cried out.

Harry looked up and saw her approach.

They both ended up hugging.

"What happened," she asked.

"We lost" He whispered, "My body hurts all over".

Stepping away from Harry Fleur looked at his injuries.

Merde.

She helped Harry hobble into the Medical Area.

Helping him to a bed she looked around for a Blood-Replenishing Potion and Wound Cleaning Potion.

She also happened to see all of the other wounded being brought in and could not help but to gasp at several of their conditions.

Merde

What had happened in England

**Author Note** Fleur will be working with the Medical Corps throughout much of the war and helping out with a lot of the war wounded.

As well as being basically Harry's personal nurse.

.


	94. Chapter 94

Chapter 93

November 7th, 1997

France

Harry after waking up in a hospital bed momentarily forgot where he a moment.

Ah yes, he was still recovering from his battle wounds.

It had been about a week since their defeat at the Forest of Dean and Harry was still trying to come to grips with everything that had happened.

The surprise departure of the German detachment had been a real surprise to Harry and everyone else in the Coalition apparatus.

Sebastian had contacted the German Chancellor Ferdinand Friedensburg who had told them that Bachmann had come home to Germany with his unit and then had promptly fled the country.

So the person that was supposed to be fighting alongside them was now a war fugitive.

That sure was reassuring news to hear.

But anyhow moving on.

Harry's injuries from the battle where now mostly all better so he could now rejoin the meetings with the other French and Coalition officials according to Fleur.

She had been such a good nurse taking care of him after the battle.

And it had been such a relief to hold his baby in his arms after all he had been through.

Now Sebastian was holding a meeting with the Coalition soldiers that Harry was invited to.

This would be a sad occasion though.

They would be announcing who had been killed in the battle and who was still missing in action.

Harry did not know exactly how many had died but it was at least a fair few.

He knew that they killed a lot of Death Eaters at the very least.

Although that was a lot harder to give a definitive answer on.

There was one person Harry was interested in seeing if they knew what happened to though.

Joe had gone to England and had fought in the Forest of Dean but it was not clear what had happened to him during the battle.

Harry really hoped that his friend had managed to survive but with a heavy heart he realized that could probably not be the case.

It pained him to think about it but it was probably good if Joe had been killed in the fighting.

Dying in battle was a much better thing to happen to you instead of getting captured by the Death Eaters and having to endure whatever wicked things they had in mind.

But enough was time to get to the meeting.

He remembered that Fleur was with Elena right now.

So he had some time to spare.

Now, where was he supposed to go again?

Ah yes, the dining room.

The Coalition leadership had set up a sort of headquarters in a manor that Harry had not really been to visit a lot.

So he was not that well aware yet on where everything was.

After asking one of the House Elves for directions he found the dining room where people where already gathered around the table.

He saw Sebastian sitting at the end of the table.

His father in law upon seeing Harry rose to greet him.

"Welcome," Sebastian said, "I'm glad you were able to make it today Harry".

Harry nodded.

"We are about to get started with the meeting if you want to take a seat" Sebastain offered.

Harry sat down in a seat and waited for the meeting to begin dreading the upcoming casualty report.

"Welcome everyone" Sebastian began "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances today but alas we have to read of the casualty report of the recent Battle of the Forest of Dean"" Henri if you will"

A man sitting next to Sebastian stood up and began to read off a sheet of parchment.

"So far these are the known fatalities of the recent battle"

Juliette Gribouille 43

Yvette Guilbert 21

Valérie Kaprisky 33

Pierre Guyotat 57

Valéry Larbaud 45

Catherine Deneuve 19

Marie Agathe 29

Georges Feydeau 50

He then continued

"The number of injured currently stands at twenty-two and the estimated number of Death Eater Dead stands at around seventy"

There were a few fair whistles at that/

They may have lost the battle but at least they took a lot more lives than they lost.

But with the British Magical Population to draw on now the Death Eaters had a large pool of manpower to draw upon.

It was a mixed bag.

"What about Joe," Harry asked Sebastian.

"Your friend is currently classified as Missing in Action," Sebastain said "He was one of the last people to leave the battlefield so not a lot of people saw what happened to him"

Harry nodded feeling his stomach churn.

Sebastian then looked around at the assembled group and sighed before speaking.

"I know for many of you defeat is not a fun thing to go through and I understand that," He said "There are lessons to be learned from the battle though"

Harry thought about that for a second.

What had gone wrong in the battle except for the Germans leaving.

Sebastian then went around the table as they bounced ideas off each other.

"Here is what we have decided on then," Sebastian said.

"Something that we need to work on more is coordination and independence".

"We need to make sure that in future battles we can all fight as one force but also making sure that if the squad commander is killed that everyone else can keep acting the same"

Another French Military person spoke "In the battle, I saw too much that everyone was relying on your orders to lead them to victory and not acting for themselves that much"

"Well, that is sort of to be expected," Sebastian said, "So many of the new people fighting in this war have not been in a hostile engagment in their lives".

"Michelle do you want to recap the next point"

"Of course Mr. President"

Harry watched the meeting with interest.

Apparently, Sebastian was quite good at noticing mistakes that they had made during the battle.

Harry would have never thought of the ideas that Sebastian had come up with.

They would then work over the next couple of weeks of incorporating those ideas into their battle tactics.

And then they would beat the Death Eaters in their next engagment.

Payback for those they lost.

But from what Sebastian was suggesting there would not be another offensive into England for some time.

They would be doing more work to help out the English Resistance and working with the other European Countries to make those places hostile to Voldemort and his regime.

So that the next time they went into England it would be all of Europe fighting alongside them for freedom.

They would achieve that goal.

Or die trying

**Author Note** I have now been working on this story for three months and what has been done is just astonishing.

I never expected that I would have written ninety-four chapters and one hundred and sixty thousand words in just three months.

For a second I would like to thank the 586 Reviews people have given this story as well as the 1,314 Followers and 890 Favorites that have caused this story to be viewed 532,813 Views times!

Thank you for the level of support shown these past few months.

I try not to compare my self to other authors but based on their levels of engagement over time I expected this level of followers after three years, not three months.

This is a project I do for fun without getting any money so the feedback is basically money for me that i love getting.(Even the criticisms are appreciated).

And thank you for the constructive criticism instead of yelling at me all the time.

This is all much appreciated.

Stay tuned and I will continue working on this story.

Cheers.


	95. Chapter 95

Chapter 94

December 8th, 1997

France

_"Fulmen Impetus"_

Harry watched as the grass he was aiming at caught fire with a well-placed Lightning Curse.

_"Aguamenti"_

He then made sure the fire was out before pausing to take a breather.

Currently, it was about eight pm and he had been practicing some spells in the outdoor meadow while Fleur and Elena were off visiting Appoline and some other Delcour family members.

Today was Saturday and despite the fact that they were in the middle of a major war something had happened that Harry had not expected to occur that often.

Sure the Death Eaters were still standing around and planning their next moves but there had not been anything of interest to report on about the war for the past week or so.

Who knew that there would be brief quiet moments during a war.

And Harry was intending to use that free time to his fullest advantage.

Sebastian was currently in meetings with several world leaders from Russia, Greece, and Turkey.

He had said that he wanted it to just be him and the world leaders so thus did not call Harry in to work over the weekend.

So Harry decided to look over some of his old spellbooks to learn some new stuff.

When he had left Hogwarts Harry had packed up a number of books from the Chamber of Secrets to look at in the future.

A lot of that information contained in the tomes would be considered Dark Magic to the British and French Governments.

But the British Ministry of Magic had fallen and Sebastian had released all restrictions on spell use in the name of national defense.

So the legality of such work was no longer questioned.

Harry had been initially hesitant about looking in the stuff from the Chamber of Secrets until the events of ten days ago.

Joe had officially been confirmed as killed in action during the Battle of the Forest of Dean.

That had been like a sledgehammer to Harry's emotions.

Two people close to Harry had now been killed in the war.

When Harry had been with Isaac he was not truly in the right mentality during the Battle in Diagon Alley.

Since Harry had not seen Isaac get hurt with his own eyes it did not fully register with him until long after Diagon Alley.

But since Isaacs Death, something major had changed in his attitude.

Elena had been born and the war had truly intensified.

Being involved in the Battle of the Forest of Dean had truly brought home to Harry's psyche that they were in a true war to the death.

After being surrounded by the screams and howls of the dueling combatants Harry had got his first true taste of the horrors of war.

An image that continued to play in his head was when he saw a dead guy laying on the ground with his stomach blown out.

Harry had not been able to identify who the dead was but the image was enough to give anyone nightmares.

And then the injuries that Harry had sustained in the most recent battle where far more extensive than those he got at Diagon Alley.

War fucking hurt that was for sure.

Joe's Death finally brought home the harsh reality to Harry.

They were in a war where no mercy would be given on either side and those who would end up coming out the other side of the tunnel would be those who could kill all of the enemies before they could kill you.

And to that end, Harry had decided to go down the route of learning from the Chamber of Secrets books the truly brutally effective curses that would help him in the war.

Hopefully, he did not end up losing his soul along the way but Harry deep down realized he did not care how many Death Eaters he had to kill.

He had a family and loved ones to protect and he would be damned if he let them die.

Looking at his watch, he saw that it was close to the time that Fleur and Elena were going to be arriving home at the house.

He may as well greet them.

A few days later Harry was sitting at his desk when Sebastains Patronus came barging in.

His boss wanted him in his office pronto.

Wonder why.

The Death Eaters had been quiet recently since in Raid in Trier last month.

Maybe they were on the move again.

Who knew.

Harry hurried to Sebastian's office as fast as possible.

He ran into Sebastian who was swiftly walking out of the room followed by ten or so other Aurors.

"What's going on," Harry asked as he hurried to keep up with the group.

"Death Eaters" Sebastian replied curtly "They are in a forest to the north of Landes we may be able to intercept them before they can attack the town"

Harry blinked but quickly sizing up the situation he fell in alongside the room.

Soon they joined up with other groups of Coalition fighters so that it seemed they had around sixty or so people.

Once they were all assembled Sebastian addressed them briefly "There are about twenty or so Death Eaters to the North of Landes right now and our job is to stop them".

"Diversion," Someone asked.

Sebastian shook his head "I don't think so but we have plenty of people that can respond if necessary"

"Jacques you will take half the group I will take the other half and we will hit them hard in the middle of the path because remember we have the advantage of fighting on our home territory this time"

"Head out"

Everyone began popping away and Harry nervously joined them.

They had apparated into what looked like a wet ravine.

Not the most pleasant of places but the thick foliage would shield their movements from the enemy quite well.

Soon Sebastian started gesturing to the group.

That was something that Harry had found confusing to adjust to.

The Coalition Army before a battle was very big on using hand signs to communicate with each other.

Harry supposed it made sense since you did not want your enemy to hear that you were sneaking up on them.

The Hand sign system had been confusing enough to learn but now Harry felt like he was getting a pretty good hold of it all.

He followed Sebastian as they all cast charms on their feet and started moving off through the trees.

Hopefully, they were all in their positions by the time the Death Eaters walked through the area.

That was a hard aspect of this whole thing.

Coordinating groups to effectively attack as one.

Soon they made their way through the trees and the hand signs told them to stop walking before they got to the path.

Harry hid behind a tree and listened to the sounds of the approaching Death Eaters.

Geez, they were loud.

Was subtly a word in their dictionaries.

During the raid in England, the Coalition had to stay absolutely silent during the walk to not alert anyone.

Apparently, the Death Eaters had not gotten that memo.

Pity.

Harry waited patiently for the order to attack.

Glancing out from around the tree he saw the sign across the way that signaled that the other group was now in place and prepared to move.

This was the most nerve-wracking part of the battle preparing for the Death Eaters to arrive.

He breathed in and went over the spells he had learned recently.

It was time to win this thing.

Soon the voices indicated that the Death Eater group had arrived and Sebastian breathed in cast a Sonorus on his throat and yelled "Attack".

Harry got up from his tree before running up the slope at the Death Eaters who were standing there stunned as the Coalition fighters attacked them on two sides.

He turned his wand at a Death Eater.

_"Ignium Sanguinaris"_ He growled.

That was a dark curse that was meant to substitute part of the person's blood with a particularly vicious flesh-eating acid.

It was not for the faint-hearted but Harry could not give a damn.

The Death Eater soon was on the ground clenching his side and howling in agony.

Harry was going to finish the Death Eater off but he was momentarily distracted by a Death Eater that was going to fire off a curse at a French fighter who was in another duel.

He recognized that Frenchmen as someone that had recently taken off time to be with his newborn son.

He could not die.

Harry fired off another deadly curse at the Death Eater about to hit Pierre Guillemont in the back.

_"Frieshenda Shedayah"_

Soon the second Death Eater was on the ground howling at various gashes that had recently opened along his body.

Harry turned back the first Death Eater and put him out of his misery with a quick Killing Curse.

Turning back around he saw the Second Death Eater had been finished off by another Coalition fighter.

Good.

Harry turned around to look for another opponent to engage.

But he saw that by this point most of the Death Eaters had been finished off by the Coalition fighters.

Harry hurried to help the last few Coalition members who were still in duels.

And soon all of the Death Eaters where dead and the Coalition fighters where standing victorious over their defeated enemies.

Looking around Harry found Sebastian was walking with a few other people and counting the corpses.

"Twenty Two dead Death Eaters" Sebastian announced "And we have not lost any of our own today" He seemed very proud upon saying that.

Sebastian gestured to a soldier "Get these Death Eaters back to Paris where we can identify them"

He then looked at the Coalition fighters many of them that still had blood covering them.

Mostly the enemies though.

"Good job today," He said nodding "Head back to base, get cleaned up and then head home to get some sleep".

They all nodded before apparating away.

Harry apparated back to the manor.

He really wanted to see Elena especially after having to go through this.

**Author Note** This is when the fighting becomes darker and more gruesome.

Harry is not really going dark but he realizes that he must do whatever he needs to so that his family makes it through the war intact.

So then Harry will be using a lot more Dark Magic in his battles.

As will everyone else.


	96. Chapter 96

Chapter 95

April 30th, 1998

French Presidential Palace

The war was effectively in a stalemate by this point.

And that frustrated the hell out of everyone.

Over the past five months, the Death Eaters had been mainly focused on trying to eliminate the British Resistance Movement.

While France had built up a Coalition fighting force of close to ten thousand people from all across Europe.

Now not all of those could be thrown into one battle but it meant that they would be able to have a numerical advantage over Voldemort.

The Death Eaters had launched a few raids on the continent but had been occupied with fighting the British.

But as soon as the Resistance Movement collapsed the number of attacks would no doubt increase.

That was what they were trying to prevent by starting a massive military support campaign given to the rebels.

It was important that they be able to last for as long as possible.

And now Harry was in a very important meeting about the future of the war.

Sebastian was feeling that with the resources that were now available to the Coalition that they would for the first time in six months launch an attack into England. that would be more than just a simple raid.

In his own words.

"I feel that it is time that we draw the Death Eaters into a pitched battle on our own terms," Sebastian said, "We have enough well-trained fighters that I feel we could beat the Death Eaters in a head-on collision".

"Where would we attack" Senator Bayard asked.

"We need to go after a location in England that is significantly important enough for the Death Eaters to attack us in and that is easy enough to defend," Secretary Salan said.

"I agree"' Sebastian said "Does anyone have any good ideas on where to go"

"Diagon Alley or the Ministry" Someone suggested.

"No" Sebastian shook his head "They are too well defended and they would be two obvious locations for us to attack".

"What about Hogwarts" Senator Bayard suggested.

Sebastian thought for a second and then nodded "That does seem like a place the Death Eaters would want to retake and our intelligence suggests that Voldemort has left the castle poorly manned"

"The one problem is how we would get in there though," He said.

Harry realized then how he could help out.

"The Chamber of Secrets," Harry said.

Sebastian looked at him confused "Excuse me" He asked blinking.

"The Chamber of Secrets under Hogwarts" Harry explained, "There's a fireplace down there that we can floo into before attacking Hogwarts".

"Wait you mean that's more than a rumor," Salan asked, "My Brother went to Hogwarts in the sixties and was never able to find it".

"The Entrance to the Chamber is in a Ghosts bathroom named Moaning Myrtle and you need to know Parseltongue to open the entrance to the Chamber" Harry explained.

There were murmurs around the table at the reveal of Harry's Parseltongue ability.

The French were not as into the Dark Arts like the British where but there were still several people looking shocked around the room.

But thankfully Sebastian soon turned the group's attention to the Chamber being used as a battle launch off point.

"Do you know if the fireplace is still operational?"Sebastian asked.

"I believe it should still be," Harry said, "We can have a look at it later as an option if you want".

"Sure," Sebastian said, "It would not hurt to look into that as an option".

The meeting continued along with other subjects being discussed before Harry saw an aide come in and whisper in Sebastian's ear.

He opened his eyes wide before glancing at Harry.

Sebastian whispered to Bayard who then ended up chairing the meeting.

Sebastian then left the meeting room but not before gesturing to Harry to follow him.

Confused Harry followed Sebastian outside of the conference room.

"Yes," Harry asked 'Is everything all right"

Sebastian breathed in and then spoke.

"Harry we have received bad news from England," He said.

He felt his heart jump.

"Is the resistance crushed?"He asked.

"No" Sebastian replied, "We received news that in a recent Battle near Worchester between English Resistance Fighters and the Death Eaters two of the dead identified English were identified as Lilly and James Potter".

Harry blinked "Excuse me," He asked.

"They were killed in battle before Voldermort then decided to parade their bodies through Diagon Alley on spikes," Sebastian said grimly.

Harry felt nauseous.

While it was true that his family had largely ignored him growing up and it was sad that they did not notice or really care about what he did after school Harry never wanted them to die.

And having your desecrated corpse being led through the streets on a spike was an absolutely horrible thing to have to happen to someone.

The Death Eaters where truly monsters of the highest caliber.

So there was now one more reason why Harry wanted this war to end as quickly as possible.

He opened his eyes and looked at Sebastains concerned glance.

"Ok'He croaked "Thank you for telling me".

And then after a second.

"What happened to Max," Harry asked.

"No one knows," Sebastian said, "He went underground when the war heated up with a Mrs. Granger and Mrs. Weasley".

Harry nodded "Than we have one more reason to end this war as soon as possible".

"Are you going to be ok?"Sebastian asked.

"I don't consider the Potters to be family anymore," Harry said, "I now have Fleur and Elena to protect and take care off".

"Be as that may" Sebastian said, "I want you to take some time to think about this so I want you to go home early for today".

"I can still work though," Harry said protesting.

Sebastian fixed him with a firm look "Harry as your boss I am ordering you to go home".

"Will I still be involved in the Hogwarts planning," Harry asked.

"Yes," Sebastian nodded "If your Chamber of Secrets shows to be a good way of getting into Hogwarts than we will start planning for battle soon".

Harry nodded and reluctantly started gathering his stuff before starting to head home.

Not the best news to be getting but they were in a war nonetheless.

There was something more important to worry about coming up.

The Final Offensive would be beginning soon and Harry felt like the war would be coming to a finish for them one way or another.

It was time to prepare for battle.

**Author Note** Please stay civil in the comments.

I was inspired greatly by reading a review by a guest on a recent chapter.

There are a few things I would like to say.

1 Yes, a few chapters ago I said I would be writing some Potter family chapters and I was not lying more in I wrote that after getting multiple people pestering me about it without knowing how to actually write something like that out.

2 I would like to state first and foremost that this is a Fleur/Harry story and if you want to stop reading because of the Potter thing than I'm fine with that but if you where reading this because of the Potter family than you would do much better reading the plenty of other good stories on the matter.

3 When I started this story I had an idea for a story but as I started writing i realized that I did not know how to properly incorporate several of the parts of the story.

4 Yes, I acknowledge that I accidentally made several plot holes and I apologize for people that are confused and my intention was to never string anyone along.

5 What this all boils down to is that I included the Potters and never thought how to incorporate them.

That was a mistake that I apologize for.

I then decided to just kill them off and hopefully, we can be done with this whole matter and move on with the rest of the story.

I have a lot of stuff planned for the remainder of Silver Vixen and for the next story that I will write as a continuation of this.

If you want to drop off reading because of the Potters I accept that but I think you are going to miss an amazing Battle of Hogwarts and several other scenes.

For those of you that have stuck through this story though.

Thank you

And I will see you in the next chapter.


	97. Chapter 97

Chapter 96

May 8th, 1998

Chinon, France

It was time.

After a bit of work experimenting with the Floo Network Sebastian had determined that the Chamber of Secrets would be a good location to move into before spreading out through the rest of Hogwarts and taking out the few Death Eaters that were stationed in the castle.

"Is everyone ready to go?"Sebastian said looking around at the assembled fighters that would be taking part in the Hogwarts Raid.

The group that Harry was in consisting of fifty or so fighters would be taking part in the initial Hogwarts takeover.

And then after taking the castle, they would open up communications so that an additional two and a half thousand Coalition fighters could then pour into Hogwarts.

Their hope was that Voldemort would then try and besiege the castle where they could then face the Death Eaters in a pitched battle on the Coalitions own terms.

It was a daunting task especially that Harry knew that the success of their takeover of Hogwarts depended on the Chamber of Secrets working.

But now it was time to face their destiny and end this war.

Harry would be the first one to enter the fireplace as it was his idea and thus would be the first one entering the Chamber and thus leading the attack.

It was a heavyweight to bear but it must be done.

He walked into the fireplace and threw in the powder before reappearing in the all too familiar Chamber of Secrets.

Harry dusted himself off and turned to the fireplace, hoping that the others were able to make it through successfully.

Thankfully within a few minutes, the next Coalition member came through the fire and was soon followed by several other people.

After about twenty minutes or so all of the group was standing in the Chamber of Secrets.

A lot of them were looking around in amazement at the insides of the Chamber many of them having heard rumors about its existence.

Harry felt nervous at the whispering and was thus happy when Sebastian got everyone back on track.

"You said the exit into Hogwarts is here," He asked.

"Yes," Harry nodded turning to walk to the Chamber Entrance "This leads up to Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom on the Second Floor of Hogwarts".

Walking to the Entrance he hissed "Open".

Several people shuddered at hearing Harry speaking Parsletoung including Sebastian but they then looked past the opening to the stairwell that was still there from the last time Harry used it three years ago.

"This is it," Sebastian asked looking at the Chamber in amazement.

"Yes," Harry nodded.

"Ok" Sebastian sighed "Let's go, everyone".

Harry nervously lead all the rest of the group up the steps of the Chamber until they arrived in Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom.

"Harry," Myrtle said looking at Harry and the Coalition fighters coming up the stairs."What are you doing here".

"Myrtle Warren," Sebastian asked.

'Yes," She said cautiously "Who are you and what are you doing here".

"We are here to take back Hogwarts," Harry said, "And hopefully end this war as well".

"Oh" Myrtle gasped "It's about time for that is there anything that I can help you with".

"Do you know where the Death Eaters in this castle would be concentrated?"Sebastian asked.

Myrtle seemed to think for a second and then "Headmaster Snape is set to address the students in the Great Hall so so if you go down there you should be able to get all of the Death Eaters in one blow".

"Thank you Myrtle," Sebastian said, "We thank you for your help".

The Group then left the Bathroom and started heading down to the Hall.

They split in two where one group would secure the Great Hall and Sebastian would lead a second group to find Severus Snape.

He was scheduled to address the students soon so they could maybe intercept the Headmaster on his way down to the Great Hall and dispose of him without needing to deal with a Death Eater group standing nearby.

That was the hope anyway.

And soon as they rushed along the empty corridors to the Headmasters Office and they ran into whom they were hoping for.

Hogwarts Headmaster Severus Snape.

Snape opened his eyes wide upon seeing the group.

He obviously knew who they were and why they were there.

Sebastian moved faster than Harry had ever seen before. His wand slashed through the air and for a split second Harry thought that Snape was gone for it but the swiftness of his Shield Charm threw them all off balance.

In the middle of Sebastian and Snape throwing spells at each other Snape obviously thought it was a bad idea to stick around.

He raised his hands and caused the glass in several surrounding windows to shatter providing a few valuable moments for Snape to make his escape.

Harry had to dive sideways to avoid the glass and when Harry looked up again, Snape was in full flight, Sebastian and other Coalition Members all thundering after him. He hurtled through a classroom door and, moments later, Harry heard Sebastian cry, "Coward! YOU FUCKING COWARD!"

Harry jumped to his feet and raced along the corridor into the deserted classroom where Sebastian and the others were standing at a smashed window.

"He jumped," announced Sebastian as Harry ran into the room.

"You mean he's dead?" Harry asked hopefully sprinting to the window.

"No, he's not dead," said Sebastian bitterly. "Snape has seemed to have learned a few tricks from his master."

Harry saw in the distance a huge, bat-like shape flying through the darkness toward the perimeter wall.

"Nothing that we can do about Snape now," Sebastian said, "Let's go help the others in the Great Hall".

They all hurried out of the classroom where Sebastian led them down the Grand Stairwell before they were shortly able to arrive in front of the Great Hall.

There were no sounds of battle coming from inside so that had to be a good thing at the very least.

Entering the Great Hall they saw students huddled along the sides of the room and the Coalition members standing over a few dead Death Eaters.

From what it looked like they had won in here.

Professor McGonagall was talking with the French Commander.

Sebastian went up to them.

"Ah, Sebastian," Minerva said warmly "So nice of you to join us today and thank you for the help".

Sebastian nodded "How many dead," He asked.

"Four Dead Death Eaters" McGonagall announced, "Including Alecto Carrow".

"That's good," Sebastian said, "Are all of the students ok".

"Yes," Minerva nodded "Thanks for your help".

"Always," Sebastian said before looking at the crowd of people "I want the Floo Network back up and running as well as other methods of traveling so that our reinforcements can come in here".

"Do you mean" McGonagall started.

"Yes," Sebastian said, "This is where I want to fight Voldemort and the Death Eaters at".

There were gasps from the British at that name being used.

McGonagall nodded "Very well as the highest ranking staff member in this castle now I will help you with that".

"Most of the students here must be evacuated out of here before the battle begins, though if any of them who are over age wish to stay and fight, I think they ought to be given the chance."

She then turned to a bald professor.

"Horace," said Professor McGonagall. "If you wish to leave with your students, we shall not stop you. But if any of you attempt to sabotage us or take up arms against us within this castle, then, Horace, we will duel to kill."

Sebastian nodded in agreement.

"Minerva!" the professor said, aghast.

"The time has come for Slytherin House to decide upon its loyalties," interrupted Professor around at those assembled in the Great Hall.

She then turned back to Sebastian.

"Well," She said, "I believe we have troops to start bringing in and defenses to start preparing now don't we".

**Author Note** The Multi-Chapter Battle of Hogwarts begins now and it is going to be huge, to say the least with quite a few twists.


	98. Chapter 98

**Author Note** The first half of this chapter is slightly before Chapter 96 and the second half is slightly after Chapter 96

Chapter 97

May 8th, 1998

Mirabeau Manor

"Good morning Honey".

Harry groggily woke up to his wife's pained smile.

What.

Oh yeah.

It was the day that they headed to England.

And when they had to leave their daughter.

Elena could not be brought to England with the war going on and since Harry was going to fight and Fleur to act with part of the Medical Corps they needed to find someone they trusted to look over their daughter until they could come back from England.

Harry had then heard from Sebastian that Gabrielle would be staying at their aunt's mansion and they had decided to take Elena there.

It pained both parents that they would have to leave their daughter but they had no choice.

Hopefully, the Battle of Hogwarts would result in a quick end to the war and they would be able to be back with their daughter but until then they had to take her to a safe house.

Gabby had already promised to take care of their little rascal.

Harry had no doubt that she would but it still pained him to have to do this.

Elena would be happy with Gabby until they got back.

Or at least he hoped so.

Kissing his wife good morning she got her stuff ready to go to England and went to get Elena from her crib.

Getting dressed Harry walked out of the bathroom to see Fleur holding Elena in her arms.

She was holding onto her baby for dear life.

And Harry could not blame her for the feeling.

He sat down and started to eat the breakfast Fleur had thrown together.

It was not entirely clear when they would be able to eat a full meal again so Harry enjoyed every bite of the food.

When he was finished eating Fleur handed him his daughter as she went to clean everything up.

As he looked at Elena's little face that was looking back at them Harry could not help but smile in light of his recent concerns.

She was so precious.

As he held her Harry realized her future was what he was concerned about protecting and making sure that his daughter could grow up in a world free of violence.

She was what he was fighting for.

When he went to England and fought the Death Eaters he would be fighting with the knowledge that he was working to make a safer world for his daughter than the one she was born into.

As long as that goal could be achieved Harry could not mind what else happened over the next couple of days.

Elena was what mattered most of all.

Later Harry and Fleur flooed into their aunt's house.

It was a nice place Harry thought looking around.

Elena would like it here.

No, stop it.

They would be back soon to pick up their daughter after the war finished and they could then live as a family together.

Looking to his side he saw Fleur holding a sleeping Elena protectively in her arms.

He then looked around and saw Gabby walking down a flight of stairs.

She brightened upon seeing them "Fleur" She cried out.

Upon reaching the couple Gabby noticed Elena in Fleurs arms.

"Ahh" She cried out "Its the baby".

"Yes Gabby we brought Elena," Fleur said sadly "Where is auntie".

"She is out right now but she showed me where Elena should go upstairs," Gabby said, "Follow me".

Slowly walking up the stairs Harry saw Fleur was softly whispering to Elena.

Harry felt his throat go dry.

This could be the last time they see their daughter in a while.

These moments would be cherished.

Finally Gabby led them into a nursery room.

"This is where she can go," Gabby said gesturing to a crib.

"Ok," Fleur said softly.

She gave Elena off to Harry one last time before she was put in the crib.

Holding his daughter in his arms Harry felt a mixture of emotions come up but he focused to give Elena a kiss on her forehead.

"Stay safe my angel" He whispered.

He then reluctantly handed Elena back to Fleur who hugged her baby before placing her in the crib.

Fleur kisses Elena's forehead.

"Best of dreams darling" She whispered in a soft voice that seemed to crack at times.

Taking one last look at their daughter Fleur and Harry turned to look at a crying Gabby.

"Please be safe" She croaked out "I want my sister to come back".

"Don't worry?"Fleur said "We will come back I promise'.

Gabby then flew into Fleurs arms crying.

Fleur reassured her sister by rubbing her back and soothing her.

And then in an almost whisper "Take care of her for us will you".

Gabby nodded not able to say a word before she hugged Harry.

Wanting to get out of the room as quickly as possible Harry led a teary-eyed Fleur to the front of the mansion where after taking one more look at the place they apparated away.

Harry stood momentarily silent on the Hogwarts Viaduct looking out at Coalition fighters moving busily throughout the courtyard.

Battle was coming.

Coalition Intelligence Sources had indicated that hundreds perhaps thousands of Death Eaters were moving through the countryside and would be attacking Hogwarts soon.

And they were ready to meet the Death Eater onslaught.

Over the course of the past twelve hours in a massive influx of military personnel, nearly fifteen hundred Coalition fighters had entered Hogwarts primed and ready for battle.

Sebastian was currently busy with the new Interm Headmistress Minerva McGonagall organizing Hogwarts Defenses to make sure that any attack on the castle would be very hard and bloody for any attacking force to fight through.

It was clear that the Coalition would not be thrown out of Hogwarts without a fight.

And what a fight it was going to be.

Between the numbers on the Coalition and Death Eater sides, there would be thousands of people fighting each other in a battle that eclipsed in size any single battle of the First Wizarding War.

And it would most likely result in incredibly high casualties.

Fleur and the other medical personnel where currently crowded into the Hogwarts Medical Wing with plenty of Emergency Portkeys to take the seriously wounded to Hospitals in France set up to receive a wave of patients.

By this point, the Coalition members had trained enough that they could operate as one during the fighting.

They would show Voldemort and the Death Eaters that they would not go down with a fight.

This war would end here one way or another for them and would hopefully end in a lot of dead Death Eaters.

By Merlin, they would win this fight or die trying.

At the very least Harry knew he wanted to take as many of those bastards with him as possible.


	99. Chapter 99

Chapter 98

May 10th, 1998

Hogwarts

Harry woke up to the sound of a loud ping.

What was that?

Hearing a second ping then brought him to full awareness.

He looked to his side to see Fleur nestled against him.

It had been a day and a half since they had taken Hogwarts and due to the lack of a Death Eater Assault, several people had decided to get some sleep.

Currently, Harry and Fleur were laying together on his old bed in the Ravenclaw Common Rooms.

It was so weird to be back here again.

But something was wrong.

"Fleur! Wake up!"

Fleur stirred and turned over on the bed. "'Arry what is going on?"

Harry ignored the question. With a wave of his wand and a vanishing charm, their night clothes were gone.

He walked over to the window on the other side of the room and looked out, trying to figure out what woke him up.

PING!

He saw movement by the Hogwarts Viaduct.

"Damn it," he snarled.

The Death Eaters had finally decided to attack.

"'Arry, what is going on?"

Another series of pings rang out from outside the window.

"What was that?" Fleur asked.

"The Death Eaters are attacking. Get up and get dressed and ill help make sure you get to the Hospital Wing.

Immediately at hearing his words Fleur was wide awake and scrambling to get everything ready for the battle.

Heading down to the Common Room Harry saw many other fighters waking up and coming to the same realization that he had with the Death Eaters.

Looking out the windows Harry saw flashes of light in the courtyard below.

"Death Eaters Incoming" Someone shouted.

Looking up Harry saw a couple of dark figures flying at the tower.

Ducking behind a chair Harry heard the shattering of glass as a dozen or so Death Eaters flew in through the windows.

They immediately began firing curses into the Common Room once their balance had been secured.

_"Ilcantiam Tatem"_ Harry rose quickly and started to fire blindly into the crowd of Death Eaters.

The Common Room soon became a mess as Death Eaters and Coalition Fighters began firing at each other from opposite sides of the room.

Harry then remembered something that could help them out in this situation.

_"Tonitura Protego"._

Several of the Coalition Fighters got knocked onto the ground hard as the Death Eaters got blasted out of the window by a powerful shock wave that came out of Harry's wand and reverberated forward.

The Coalition Soldiers grumbled as they got off the ground but nodded to Harry with respect at his knowledge that got them out of a potentially tough situation.

Although if those Death Eaters could fly then there was a good chance they would survive and regroup with the rest of them.

That was more Death Eaters that knew how to fly than Harry had expected.

Voldemort had apparently been busy teaching.

Soon a Patronus came in from Sebastian.

_"Death Eaters are attacking Hogwarts,"_ It said,_ "The Hospital Wing and the Four Common Rooms are under attack"_.

Harry and a lot of those around the room gasped.

That was a lot of targets to attack at once.

The Death Eaters if nothing had launched an incredibly well-coordinated attack.

Harry found Fleur by the edge of the stairs.

The Common Room was a mess.

But that could be cleaned up later.

Coalition fighters soon began streaming out of Ravenclaw Tower.

The Death Eaters could return to the tower but it would be a better bet to find their comrades so that they could fight together instead of in separate battles.

And what would you know there was fighting on the Grand Staircase.

Harry rushed to throw himself into battle against the Death Eaters.

_"Oculus Claudius, Alacriata, Surdius"_ He fired off spells in rapid fire.

Fighting on the moving stairs soon proved to be a challenge for everyone to do especially when you wanted to aim properly.

They were soon able to force their way through the crowd of dueling combatants until Harry and Fleur made it to the Hospital Wing.

Fleur ducked into the wing and Harry joined a group of people defending the entrance from the Death Eater swarm.

_"Ignis Crepitus"_ Harry shot the advancing Death Eater off a nearby ledge breaking several bones in the process no doubt".

Soon the Death Eaters and Coalition were hiding behind roughly conjured walls and pillars.

This scene seemed all to very familiar to Harry.

But soon he heard something confusing from across the hall.

"Death Eaters fall back" Someone yelled.

Now that Hogwarts wars had been taken down the Death Eaters began to apparate away.

What the fuck where they doing.

The Death Eaters were winning this battle.

A lot of the people to the side of Harry also looked confused at what was going on.

But soon there was no one across the way from them.

And from the sound of it, the fighting around the castle had died down.

Did the Death Eaters retreat from Hogwarts.

Why.

One of the Coalition fighters "Ha" He laughed standing up"They are too scared to fight us" He said.

"Get down Pierre" Someone else snarled at the man.

"This doesn't make sense," Harry said "Why go to the trouble of attacking us at night and then leave? They had the advantage. We were totally unprepared for this moment".

"We are definitely not unprepared now," Someone said.

"Let's head down to the Great Hall and see what Sebastian wants to do now" Harry suggested.

A lot of the other Coalition members nodded at that and began to step over the wall and started to walk down to the Great Hall.

Hogwarts was a mess.

There was blood on the floor as well as a lot of destroyed sections of the wall but strangely there were very few bodies.

Once they reached the Great Hall they were meet by Sebastian who was walking out of it.

"What is going on" Harry asked.

"We don't know," Sebastian said, "We think the Death Eaters may still be on the Hogwarts grounds through so Claude Rouvroy has led a patrol to check out the area and report back to us on what the Death Eaters are doing".

"You mean they could still be near here," Harry asked.

"I don't know we're trying to work that out," He said before resuming talking with Professor McGonagall.

Harry then walked around and helped a few of the wounded get to safety further upstairs.

Later when he was talking with Sebastian another Frenchman came in and called out.

" Sebastian".

"Claude" He greeted the man and his patrol warmly "What have you found out have the Death Eaters left the area".

The man nodded.

"What" Sebastian gasped "What have they done then".

"The Death Eaters have split into three groups," Rouvroy said.

"Split up," Eugène Schueller asked.

"They must be trying to weaken us by dividing us," Natalie Dessay said.

"The attack on Hogwarts was just to get our attention" Sebastian concluded, "They want to draw us out of the castle and its defenses".

"If they've split up that means that they have weakened themselves too" Harry pointed out.

"But they have the advantage of surprise" Sonia Rykiel countered "They know we're coming".

"And we don't know where they're hiding entirely" Harry finished.

"We know where they headed though," Rouvroy said, "One group went into Hogsmeade, one went down toward the lake and it looks like one doubled back and headed for the Quidditch Pitch".

Sebastian sighed and looked at his assembled leadership.

"We need three battle patrols to go out and deal with the Death Eaters. A fourth Patrol will stay behind to defend the castle and the hospital wing most importantly".

"I will take one patrol and Minerva you Alastor and Amelia can lead the other groups".

Alastor Moody and Amelia Bones had been a few of the recent Resistance Members to come to Hogwarts in the past twenty-four hours.

"Pick your own groups," Sebastian said, "We move out in half an hour".

Soon the four leaders began to gather their patrols and started choosing fighters to go with them.

The Coalition members divided like water around rocks pooling behind the four leaders.

"Are we ready?"Sebastian asked looking at the assembled group of fighters.

There were a number of nods from the audience.

"I will head into Hogsmeade" Sebastian declared.

"Moody" Sebastian went on "You go to the Quidditch Pitch and Amelia".

The former head of the DMLE leaned forward.

"You will head to the lakeside".

She nodded.

"All right get ready to go, everyone," He said.

Harry moved through the crowds to find Fleur.

Once she saw Harry she kissed him hard.

Stopping to take a breath she looked into Harry's eyes with their foreheads pressed against each other.

"Take care Arry" She whispered.

Harry chose not to say anything just silently enjoying the last few minutes with his wife.

"Everyone head out" Sebastains voice soon rang out above the crowds.

Reluctantly parting ways Harry followed Sebastian's group out to Hogsmeade.

It was time to end this.

"Careful" Sebastian warned as they walked through the streets of Hogsmeade "Wands out and prepare to fight".

"I don't see any Death Eaters" Someone complained.

"Just keep walking" Sebastian snapped.

The tension was palpable in the group as they walked through empty streets.

They had split into three groups led by Jeanne Lanvin and Charles Perrault that would circle around and attack Hogsmeade from the North and South.

And Sebastian's force would attack right through the center of the group.

A pincer maneuver of sorts.

But it was weird seeing deserted streets.

Noise off in the distance indicated that at least one of the groups had started fighting.

But there was no Death Eaters insight here.

"Where are they" Someone complained.

"Shut up" Sebastian snapped before being interrupted by cackling coming from a building nearby.

A figure moved out from the shadows followed by several other hooded individuals.

It was Bellatrix Lestrange and the Death Eaters.

She was twirling her wand and laughing maniacally.

"Death Eaters Attack" She screeched "Kill them all".

And that is when all hell broke loose.

**Author Note** The Battle now begins in earnest


	100. Chapter 100

Author Note Yay 100 Chapters done

And wow

Also in this chapter, I made Hogsmeade a bit larger than it may have been in cannon so that there could be a more interesting battle.

Chapter 99

May 10th, 1998

Hogwarts

BOOM

Harry held on as the building they were in was wracked by another the Death Eaters.

Hogsmeade was a fucking mess right now.

After the Death Eaters had initially ambushed the Coalition Battle Columns they had retreated largely into the buildings.

And due to the fact that the Coalition Leadership would like to leave Hogsmeade intact after the battle, they had decided that there was no other choice but to kick the Death Eaters out of Hogsmeade by conducting an exhausting urban battle of sorts to clear out all of the buildings.

But that strategy was not working out so well.

The Patrol Harry had been but in had already lost three of its members, Maurice Blanchot, Olivier Martinez, and Raymond Roussel that were cut down in just the first hour of combat.

And their current leader Nina Ricci had not done a very good job at figuring out how they could get out of this building in one piece so that they could then take the next building and start the whole process again.

Not for the first time in this battle Harry questioned the abilities and talent of their leadership.

They had lost three people so far and what had that achieved.

Capturing a few stores that is what they have achieved.

Harry had no idea how many Death Eaters had been killed so far.

Not enough in his mind.

He jumped up from his position firing a curse blindly across the way before ducking back down.

Looking to his side he saw Nina was talking with someone that was definitely not in the building a few minutes ago.

What was she doing?

"All right there are new orders from Command they want us to take the store across the way and then take four other buildings to the West of the Leaky Cauldron and linking up with Clauzels Patrol".

"How the fuck do they expect us to do that when we have been pinned down in here for half an hour," Harry said.

To permeate his point a sickly blue spell flew in the window above Harry and nearly hit Renshaw.

Before Nina could say anything though a curse hit her in the arm hard.

She fell to the floor screaming.

Before anyone could try and help her out Murphy yelled out "Death Eater Attack".

Briefly glancing out the window Harry saw a group of Death Eaters leaving their positions and charging towards them.

Fuck.

Harry and several of the others in their group started to fire at the Death Eaters who after getting to a certain distance started returning fire.

This was not good.

The fighting so far had mostly been consisting of a giant game of Magical Wack a Mole.

The buildings in Hogsmeade had walls that had a bit of endurance at taking hits so both sides had taken refuge in the buildings firing at each other through the windows.

It was a very inaccurate way of hitting your enemies, to say the least.

But soon like the previous Death Eater attacks, this one was beaten back.

They could not stay here forever though.

In an urban battle, the side that won was the side that kicked the enemy out of their positions.

The Death Eaters had the right idea in pressing the attack.

Eventually, the walls protecting the Coalition fighters would break and then they would be screwed.

They had to attack.

Looking back he saw that Nina was in a bad state.

Harry still had his Medical Medallion though.

Before the battle portkeys had been made of medallions and given to the Coalition fighters so that they could transport their wounded to the hospitals without having to run the gauntlet.

"Ricci" Harry yelled, "Do you need medical attention".

She had used her medallion earlier in the battle.

Nina looked like she was about to refuse but as she tried to stand she crumpled to the ground.

Harry dashed over to her trying to be conscious of the potential dangers around him.

"Here," He said placing the medallion around her neck.

"Lead Harry" She murmured.

What.

"Activate" Nina murmured before disappearing.

He looked at the disheveled group of ten other fighters occupying the building.

It was his responsibility now to lead them to victory.

"We are attacking" Harry yelled to the rest of the group "Haccoun, Manaudou, and Voisin I want you to provide us some cover and the rest of you follow me we are going to run to that brick wall across the way," He said pointing out the window before ducking down.

"Got it," He asked."Ok, go".

Harry ran to the door of the building with the rest of the group close behind him.

"This is the order that we go in".

Perrault

Schueller

Rykiel

Hawking,

Renshaw

Rochester,

And Murphy

Opening the door and seeing the other three firing at the Death Eaters Harry started to run.

The next thirty or so feet to the next position felt like forever.

But they were able to make it there safely.

And what luck that it started to rain.

That would make the battlefield even harder to work around.

Just great.

'-

"Go, Go, Go" Harry shouted.

After having broken down the door to the inn the Coalition Fighters stormed in firing at anything that moved.

_"Frieshenda Shedayah"_ Harry joined in the fight.

They were making progress if slow at that.

And word had gotten out of some high profile kills.

Sirius Black had joined the battle fighting alongside the Coalition and had killed Severus Snape by the lakeside as revenge for killing James Potter.

Sirus was then killed by Fenrir Greyback and was avenged by Remus Lupin who had been gravely injured in the battle.

Snape and Greybacks Deaths were definitely a welcome relief to all of them.

The Coalition was holding their own if nothing else.

Harry did not know how the other two groups where faring but Sebastains group was doing good.

He really thought that they could throw the Death Eaters out of Hogsmeade.

It would not be easy though.

The Death Eaters were dug in and it would require brutal fighting to eject them from their positions.

And what a fight this had been so far.

It was clear to all that no mercy would be given to them and they were expected to give none.

This was a true fight to the death.

Realizing that he needed to focus more on the fighting as they went up a staircase to check the next floor Harry felt something land on his back.

Fuck it was a Death Eater.

Twisting he tried to throw off the Death Eaters that had jumped on his back.

Eventually, he was able to punch him in the face that was able to provide enough stimulation for Harry to be able to knock him onto the stairs.

Harry was then was unable to dodge in their close quarters the punch that hit him in the eye.

Growling he then kicked the Death Eater hard in the shins who recoiled back howling.

Gaining his focus back Harry pushed hard and knocked the Death Eater off the stairs.

He hit the ground on the bottom floor with a thud.

Harry then took out his wand and killed the Death Eater quickly.

Whew.

Who knew that in the middle of a magical battle he could get into a muggle fist fight.

Ow, his eye.

_"Episkey"_

Ow

He really needed to work on his knowledge of healing charms.

That was more Fleurs knowledge anyway.

Hurrying back up the stairs he found no more Death Eaters on the top floor.

But looking out the window across Hogsmeade he still saw plenty of flashes of light and explosions that tore through the area.

They still had much more work to do.

**Author Note** Silver Vixen will focus a lot more on the fighting than they did in canon.

I felt like in the Deathly Hallows movie the Battle of Hogwarts was relegated two much to a side story and I wanted to change that.


	101. Chapter 101

Chapter 100

May 10th, 1998

Hogwarts

Looking out the window briefly Fleur looked at the lights off in the distance that went through Hogsmeade the Quidditch Pitch and by the lake.

It was intimidating to see from a distance and must be very hard to have to go through that.

Right now was one of the few seconds they were not dealing with a wave of wounded patients.

There were not people arriving all the time but when the came in they arrived in droves.

Today was really wearing on Fleur and she was not even the one fighting.

The injuries that the Coalition fighters had been coming in with were truly horrendous.

She had to deal with everything from broken limbs to someone who had a hole in their neck.

The Hogwarts Medical Team had done all they could to keep their patients alive until they could be transported to a hospital in France.

They had saved a lot of lives but unfortunately for some, it was too late.

So far three of those brought to the Hospital Wing had died because of their injuries.\

One of those three was also worked on by Fleur.

It was not a good feeling to know that someone had died while you were trying to save them.

But she could not dwell on it for long.

They're where more people that needed work on.

Just like now it sounded with the sound of more pops into the Hospital Wing.

Fleur had to focus on the patients at hand.

It would keep her from worrying about what was going on outside the castle.

She had not heard about how Harry or Sebastian were doing.

In her gut, she knew they were ok but it was disorienting not knowing what was going on.

She had to do what her mother was doing though.

Focus on the injured and ignore the battle currently raging outside the castle.

Walking to her hospital bed she saw a woman was laying there with blood soaking her pants leg.

"Ah, Nurse," The woman said seeing Fleur "I was fighting by the lake and.." Ahh" She was not able to finish that instance before being wracked by what Fleur recognized as pain.

"Let's see" Fleur murmured rolling up the women's pants.

Oh My.

The leg was coated in blood pretty much up to the shin where there was a deep gash running into the skin.

Fleur recognized that type of cut anywhere.

The Cutting Curse.

This woman had her leg hit with a cutting would probably end up losing it.

Fleur hurriedly summoned a Wound Cleaning and Blood Replenishing Potion.

She had to give enough to help out this woman but also so that she had enough supplies left for later.

How did this woman get these sorts of injuries?

What is going on out there?.

Harry after clearing out the building led the team to the Center of the Village.

Out there he saw several other Coalition Fighters milling around.

After at least five hours or so of fighting Harry was pretty sure that they had secured Hogsmeade and either forced the Death Eaters to either flee the village or die where they stood.

Harry had no idea how many people had been killed so far but it must be in the hundreds at the very least.

BOOM! Every one of the Coalition Fighters ducked their heads down out of reflex at the loud explosion before they all looked as one towards the Quidditch Pitch as a crashing could be heard. They saw one of the spectator stands collapse in flames and thousands of splinters of wood fall down with screams echoing out.

Oh Dear.

That was not good.

The stands probably just hurt and killed a few people from both sides.

Soon a voice hissed out over the air.

"You all have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery," Came a cold, high voice. Everyone stopped listening to the voice. Everyone looked around for the voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. "If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. Leave Hogwarts now and you and your families will be left unharmed. Stay and I will kill every last man, woman, and child in your families. You have been warned".

The whole Coalition group was silent as Voldemort's voice faded away.

None of them though even thought about not continuing to fight the Death Eaters. Everybody had their wands in their hands and determined looks on their faces as they prepared for the possibility of more battle.

The Coalition had just won in Hogsmeade so there was no chance in hell that they would stop fighting now.

Harry needed to find Sebastian to know what they were going to do now that it looked like the Coalition had won in Hogsmeade.

Soon he was able to find a bloody and bruised Sebastian walking through a street Hogsmede surrounded and talking with his lieutenants.

Sebastian greeted Harry warmly upon seeing him.

"Harry," He said, "I'm glad to see you've made it through this battle so far".

Harry nodded "What are we doing now with Hogsmeade secure," He asked, "We should go help out the other two groups now that we're done here".

"Not yet," Sebastian said, "We have several fighters that are seriously injured that we want to get to the hospital before we go help the other two patrols".

Harry nodded "Ok can I go to join the other two groups then," He asked.

He was not ready to go back to the castle yet. He could hear the other battles raging in the distance. He ought to be there fighting.

"I can't let you go off on your own" Sebastian told him.

Was that fear Harry heard in Sebastian's eyes.

"What will we do with the dead" Harry asked.

Sebastian looked at the Coalition and Death Eater Dead laying on the ground around the village.

"We will have to collect those later," He said, "The wounded need to get medical attention as soon as possible".

Frustrated at not being able to help out the others fighting at the lake and Quittich Pitch Harry none the less followed his Comrades as they began tracking back to Hogwarts.

After having left they're wounded back at Hogwarts Sebastian led a group of Coalition fighters towards the Quidditch Pitch.

They had received news that Alastor Moody had been killed in the fighting and thus his patrol was faltering in holding off the Death Eaters.

Sebastian had then sent some reinforcements to Bones Patol fighting by the lake but he took the majority of his group to the Quidditch Pitch.

Looking around Harry realized that with the wounded they had left back in Hogwarts along with the dead in Hogsmeade and the fighters sent to the lake they now had a much-reduced force.

But they could still fight as fiercely as ever.

Walking down to the Quidditch Pitch they saw a column of maybe forty or so Death Eaters walking towards the Quidditch Pitch.

They were going to finish of Moody's Patrol.

"Attack" One of the Coalition fighters screamed rushing towards the Death Eater column.

The rest of the group soon followed ignoring Sebastian's yelling.

Harry none the less rushed forwards to begin firing at the Death Eaters.

_"Frieshenda Shedayah"_

Well, here we go again.


	102. Chapter 102

Chapter 101

May 10th, 1998

Hogwarts

This battle had to end

After hours of the Coalition fighters fighting the Death Eaters, their leader Lord Voldermort had decided to make an appearance on the battlefield.

And now the leader of the Coalition and the Death Eaters were locked in a bloody duel.

Sebastian knew that there was not a great chance that he could win the battle but he had performed a ritual that would basically weaken the person that killed him significantly.

If he couldn't win he could at the very least deplete Voldermorts strength enough so that someone else could win.

_"Petrificus Totalus." "Reducto." "Sectumsempra" Avada Kedavra."_ Sebastian hastily conjured a shield that blocked the body bind before shattering under the blasting hex before he dodged to the left to avoid the torture curse before he quickly dodged to the right into the path of the dark cutting curse that ripped off his wand arm yet allowed him to avoid the killing curse. Ignoring the pain in his now useless arm he retaliated with his own volley of spells.

_"Cipyr, Frendo, Surdius, Ignis Crepitus."_ Voldermort Blocked the advanced stunning spell before swatting the piercing hex away before sidestepping a bone-shattering curse before raising a shield against the bone exploding curse. For five minutes or so both warriors' traded spells, hexes and curses as fast as they could.

_"Avada Kedavra."_ Voldermort managed to launch what he felt would end this tiring duel.

Sebastian saw what was about to happen seconds before it happened and he accepted his fate thinking "At least I managed to weaken the bastard as much as I could" Mere seconds later the killing curse struck Sebastian in his chest. Sebastian's lifeless body hit the ground moments later

Voldermort soon kneeled down in pain as the ritual affects hit him hard.

He had died exactly how he wanted too, fighting for what he believed in, on a battlefield fighting for his country.

Sebastian had confidence that the Coalition could now win the battle and his family could live in peace.

It pained him that he could not live to see his granddaughter grow up but he did his work in making sure she could live in a peaceful world.

He wouldn't have had it any other way.

Watching the fight between the two leaders was Max Potter removed from the fighting and ready to fulfill the prophecy and end Voldermort.

Soon after Voldermort noticed him.

"Potter" He spat "Are you here to meet your end just like the French fool did".

"This ends here Voldermort," Max said, "You die here".

The Dark Lord laughed.

"You cannot kill me, Potter, I am immortal," Voldemort yelled as he launched a killing curse at Max who was able to avoid the death curse.

"Correction old-man, you are now as mortal as I am, yes Tom I've now destroyed all of your Horcruxes," Max replied as he launched a volley of spells at the Dark Lord who raised a powerful shield to block most of the his exhaustion was evident by the fact that Voldermort was caught by a Cutting Curse..

"Liar, you can't possibly have destroyed all my Horcruxes." Voldemort roared in rage. However, on the inside, he was sweating bullets at Max's words and the possibility that he could very well be defeated permanently on this day.

"Your diary, Slytherin's ring, Slytherin's locket, Ravenclaw's Diadem, and Hufflepuff's cup, all destroyed." Max named all the Horcruxes much to Voldemort's mounting horror and fear as his already white face paled even further if that was even possible. "And Fred just killed your snake".

"You will not kill anyone else now Voldermort this ends here" Max proclaimed.

Voldemort roared as he unleashed a stream of pure black magic.

_"Expecto Patronum."_ Max launched the only spell able to block pure black magic, the exact opposite in pure white magic. His stag Patronus leaped from his wand and opening its mouth swallowed the stream of black magic seconds before the stream would have impacted Max, which would have surely killed him or if not kill him then mortally wound him pretty much ending the duel right then and there.

_"Sectumsempra."_ Max cast the dark cutting curse at Voldemort which struck him in the chest knocking him back a few paces and doing its job of breaking the Dark Lord's concentration on the stream of black magic and allowing Max to end his Patronus charm as the black magic stream was ended.

_"Fiendfyre."_ Max spat in a fierce voice as a stream of dark orange and red flames burst out of his wand rising into the air before taking the shape of a large dragon, the fiery beast roared before unleashing a stream of fire from its mouth towards Voldemort, who despite himself was impressed that Max could even cast that spell let-alone control it.

Voldemort quickly began slashing his wand as the dragon shot towards him spewing fire from its mouth as it did so.

He redirected much of the fire away showing that even in a tired state Voldermort was still powerful.

_"Avada Kedavra."_ Voldemort's killing curse missed Max by mere inches as the teen just barely managed to move away from the incoming curse.

After about another twenty minutes of fighting or so both wizards were now covered in their own blood and they were both battered and sporting a few broken bones.

Voldemort had managed to hit Max just below his scar with a cutting curse causing blood to pour down his face and into his eyes making it very difficult to see, his left arm was broken in two different places as was his left hand, he had a bust and broken nose and had a few cracked if not broken ribs. Voldemort himself was bleeding heavily from where his right ear had been ripped off his head, his left eye was swollen shut and his left collarbone was broken. Both wizards were physically and magically exhausted standing up only on pure will and pride.

Max and Voldemort now stood thirty feet apart, both swaying slightly were they stood looking at each other, both knowing they were down to their last few spells after which they would be physically and magically spent and unable to do any more.

Max knew that whatever happened to him if he killed Voldermort than the battle was effectively over.

_"Avada Kedavra."_ Yelled Voldemort his wand pointed straight at Max's chest.

_"Avada Kedavra,"_ Max yelled at the same time his wand pointed at Voldemort's chest. However, Barty Crouch once said that a lot of power was needed to cast a successful killing curse. Neither Max nor Voldemort had enough power left in them after hours of fighting, so when the killing curses struck them both in the chest at a fraction of the needed power, it did not kill them but brought both wizards to their knees painfully.

"That didn't quite work the way I wanted to." Max rasped before spitting out a huge amount of blood.

"Indeed." Voldemort agreed as he too spat out a large amount of blood. Both wizards took aim again finding it more difficult to keep their wands steady.

_"Acer."_ Voldemort launched what he knew to be his last curse of the day, he had nothing left after that piercing hex.

_"Reducto."_ Max's last curse smashed into Voldemort face seconds after the Dark Lords piercing hex struck him in the chest and pierced his heart. Moments later, Max's heart and body gave up and he gave one last rasping breath before the light went out in his eyes and his body slumped backward spread-eagled on the ground. Max Potter died seconds before the Dark Lord Voldemort took his final breath.

Harry wondered what Sebastian was doing.

He had gone off on his own a while ago and nothing had been heard except for flashes from an area near Hogsmede.

The Coalition was currently fighting a bloody battle against the Death Eaters where neither side was giving any ground and people were dropping like flies.

After hours of fighting though everyone was tired.

But in the middle of the battle, a scream rose out above the crowd of dueling combatants.

"The Dark Lord is Dead, The Dark Lord is Dead" Someone screamed "Retreat, Retreat".

Thoroughly confused Harry watched as the Death Eaters started to apparate away.

But not to let a good opportunity go to waste.

"Attack" He yelled, "Kill them".

Spured on the Coalitiion fighters began to fire at their retreating Death Eater enemies.

They had won.

After the Death Eaters had started to retreat from the battlefield the Coalition had followed up and probably killed hundreds of Death Eaters as they tried to escape.

It was now time to find out what had happened with their leaders.

Harry was walking down with a group of people to find out what had happened between Sebastian and Voldermort.

The area was absolutely torn up partly because of the battle between the Death Eaters and Coalition and partly because of some large duels.

"DAD" Screamed Fleur being the first of them to spot the three bodies lying unmoving on the ground and she took off running, everyone else hot on her heels. Fleur reached Sebastian's side, dropping to her knees before she began frantically searching for a pulse. Harry already knew she would find none while his chest was unmoving as was his entire body.

Looking around Harry also saw a dead Max Potter and Voldermort.

"He's dead." Fleur spoke in a hollow voice as tears began to stream down her face."L-Lets M-Move H-him to the hospital wing."

"O-One moment." Harry turned to the broken body of Voldemort taking out his wand to point at the dead man. _"Incendio Maxima."_ White-hot fire shot out of his wand and engulfed the body of Voldemort.

Soon Harry felt someone else run past him.

It was Hermione Granger.

"No Dear," She said crying running up to Max "You can't be dead, you cant be".

And then in such a soft voice that Harry barely heard it.

"Who will help me raise our child".

Harry froze.

Max and Hermione had a child.

Fuck.

Then there would be one more person without a parent now.

As he looked at Max and Fleur crying over Sebastains Dead Body Harry felt his stomach drop.

They had won the war.

But they had lost so much in the process.

**Author Note**

Well, the Coalition has now won the war with Sebastian and Maxs sacrifices in killing Voldermort.

I know there will probably be questions about the Prophecy so.

Max killed Voldermort and Harry destroyed his body.

That is not how the prophecy went I know but how much worth do you want to put into crazy Trelawney's words.

I'm just saying.

And over the past year, Max did destroy all of Voldemort's Hocroxs except for Harry that no one knows about.

Also, I know this will not be appreciated by everyone but I wanted to put out a comprehensive list of the dead of the Battle of Hogwarts

**Deaths of the notable people at the Battle of Hogwarts**

Severus Snape,

Fred Weasley,

Vincent Crabbe,

Colin Creevey,

Lavender Brown,

Remus Lupin

Nymphadora Lupin,

Gregory Goyle

Lord Voldemort

Bellatrix Lestrange

Vincent Crabbe

Scabior

Fenrir Greyback

Tracey Davis

Sue Li

Isobel MacDougal

Stephen Cornfoot

Kevin Entwhistle

Roger Malone

Lily Moon

Oliver Rivers

Sally Smith

Wayne Hopkins

Megan Jones

Sally-Anne Perks

Sophie Roper

Avery

Antonin Dolohov

Jugson

Mulciber

Nott

Sturgis Podmore

Stan Shunpike

Augustus Rookwood

Travers

Peter Pettigrew

Thorfinn Rowle

Corban Yaxley

Igor Karkaroff

Rabastan Lestrange

Pius Thicknesse

Gibbon

Selwyn

Lucius Malfoy

Walden Macnair

Sebastian Delcour

Dolores Umbridge

Theodore Nott

Kathryn Leukart

Cole Dawson

Christopher Schaffer

Michael Arguelles

Devin Boyer

Andrew Glenn

Michael Hutchinson

Bruce Hutchison

Ted Tonks

Kreacher

Dedalus Diggle

Elphias Doge

Emmeline Vance

Percy Weasley

Winky

John Dawlish

Mundungus Fletcher

Sirius Black

Sturgis Podmore

Ambrosius Flume

Dominic Maestro

Amycus Carrow

Alastor Moody

Alice Longbottom

Frank Longbottom

Sarah Hamilton

Morgan Hoffner

Jacob Lehman

Gawain Robards

Millicent Bulstrode

Vincent Crabbe

Borgin

Burke

Ashlee Azzolini

Marietta Edgecombe

Zacharias Smith

George Weasley

Andromeda Tonks

Argus Filch

David Boorman

Felix Brunt

Irving Cram

Simon Dedworth

Christopher Flack,

Jake Flinton,

Ross Gibberd

Nicolas Grimmett,

Robert Hawking,

Cyril Meakin,

Eric Murley,

Damian Perriss,

Gordon Pummell

Ivan Renshaw

Edmund Spiers,

Jonathan Spratt,

Kevin Sterndale,

Terry Strickland,

Alex Sykes

Ryan Westrup,

Mervyn Wynch,

Kenneth Towler

Eddie Carmichael

Nigel Wolpert,

Jimmy Peakes,

Natalie McDonald

Eleanor Branstone,

Owen Cauldwell,

Laura Madley,

Kevin Whitby

Stewart Ackerley,

Orla Quirke

Malcolm Baddock,

Graham Pritchard

Emma Dobbs

Simon Dedworth

Christopher Flack,

Jake Flinton,

Ross Gibberd

Nicolas Grimmett,

Robert Hawking,

Cyril Meakin,

Eric Murley,

Damian Perriss,

Gordon Pummell

Ivan Renshaw

Edmund Spiers,

Jonathan Spratt,

Kevin Sterndale,

Kaori Shimizu,

Chie Shinohara,

Charlie Stainforth,

Melanie Stanmore,

Joshua Sturton,

Sujita Tande,

Hardik Tandel,

Rahul Tandel,

Naoki Tsuchiya,

Alex Wednesbury,

Pauline Yarrow

Edith Newton,

Mallory Norden

Steven Osterley,

Genevieve Ramsey,

Barry Rochester,

Andrew Saxby,

Kieran Muirhead,

Roderick Murphy,

Graham Montague

Adrian Pucey

Cassius Warrington:

Catherine Weinburgh

**Prominent People who survived the War**

Seamus Finnigan

Hermione Granger

Parvati Patil

Dean Thomas

Hannah Abbott

Susan Bones

Justin Finch-Fletchley

Ernie Macmillan

Terry Boot

Mandy Brocklehurst

Michael Corner

Anthony Goldstein

Padma Patil

Lisa Turpin

Gregory Goyle

Daphne Greengrass

Draco Malfoy

Theodore Nott

Pansy Parkinson

Blaise Zabini

Madeline Ford

Rufus Scrimgeour

Neville Longbottom

Rodolphus Lestrange

Alecto Carrow

Arthur Weasley

Charlie Weasley

Hestia Jones

Molly Weasley

Augusta Longbottom

Lee Jordan

Oliver Wood

Olympe Maxime

Minerva McGonagall

Pomona Sprout

Filius Flitwick

Horace Slughorn

Septima Vector

Aurora Sinistra

Sybill Trelawney

Rolanda Hooch

Bathsheda Babbling

Poppy Pomfrey

Irma Pince

Rubeus Hagrid

Alicia Spinnet

Angelina Johnson

George Weasley

Ginny Weasley

Katie Bell

Cho Chang

Luna Lovegood

Aberforth Dumbledore

Madam Rosmerta

Madam Puddifoot


	103. Chapter 103

Chapter 102

May 18th, 1998

Hogwarts

All of the History books about war and those who wrote them where fucking liars who had never seen combat in their lives in Harry's opinion.

A week had passed since the European Defense Coalition had defeated the forces of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters in the Battle of Hogwarts.

They had won but at an enormous cost to everyone involved.

Harry had lost one of his best friends from school Joseph Blackburn to fighting the Death Eaters in the Forest of Dean.

His other friend from school Catherine Weinburgh Harry had not seen during the Battle but after during the cleanup process afterward, her body had been found by the Lake wearing a Death Eater garb.

That was shocking for Harry to hear. that one of his friends had been working with the Death Eaters.

Her body had been found near the edge of the fighting indicating that she had not really been in the thick of things.

It had been a sore blow to Harry but had been eclipsed by other events.

Harry's wife Fleur Delcour's father and his boss the President of France Sebastian Delcour had been killed in the fighting.

The loss had been a sore blow to the entire Delcour family as well as the Nation of France.

The day after the battle while Sebastian's body was still warm his deputy Francios Bayard had been sworn in as the new President of France.

President Bayard had to leaved to Paris shortly after but he promised Harry that he would be able to keep the job he held in the Delcour Administration of Director of Strategic Communication.

But only for a time.

President Bayard was up for reelection in March of 1999 and he had indicated that he would not run for reelection and would end up retiring from the Senate after having been in the Senate for Fifty Four years now.

And when he retired Bayard had indicated that he would support Harry if he wanted to run for his seat.

Harry felt like he might do that instead of working for another administration.

It just was not the same without Sebastian around anymore.

But that was still months in the future.

Their job now was to help clean up the aftermath of the battle.

Even a week after the battle the grounds around Hogwarts where horrible.

Hundreds of people had been killed in the fighting and it was the Coalitions responsibility to now search the bodies for identification.

If they fought with the Coalition and perished their bodies would have to be identified and sent back to their families for a proper burial service.

The Death Eaters on the other hand.

If they were foreigners the Coalition was treaty-bound to report their deaths to their respective ministries.

And then for most of the Death Eater bodies, they would be collected before being burnt in a giant bonfire in a few days from now.

Those monsters did not deserve the honors of a burial ceremony.

Sebastian's funeral was then going to be on May the Twenty-Fifth attended in Paris by World

Leaders and members of the French Government alongside the entire extended Delcour Family.

The past few days had seen Appoline and Fleur really mourning over Sebastian.

Harry let them have their time alone.

He had bodies to search.

Harry was really happy that today was his last day of corpse searching.

He took the Death Eaters wand pocketing it before taking his own wand and levitating the body onto the pile they were gathering by the Quidditch Pitch.

And what a pile it was.

Days after the battle they were starting to get a semi count of how many people had been killed.

The Death Eaters throughout the Battle had lost an estimated one to two thousand dead in the fighting.

Their count currently stood at one thousand three hundred and sixty-four and counting.

It would be impossible to have an exact toll of how many Death Eaters had been killed due to a combination of Death Eaters pulling their comrades off the field or if the bodies had been destroyed in the fighting either by the fire that burnt down much of Hogsmeade and the Quidditch Pitch during the battle.

The Coalitions own losses while not reaching the heights of the Death Eaters were still quite staggering in their self.

So far One hundred and forty-seven Coalition Dead had been identified along with fifty or so who where still missing in action.

The Leadership on both sides had also taken a large hit in the battle.

Not only had Voldermort and his inner circle been killed a lot of Coalition Leaders had died commanding their fighters from the frontline of the battle.

Sebastian had been the highest-ranking Coalition General killed but alongside him at least fifteen other high ranking officials had been killed.

And while the Coalition had won the Battle of Hogwarts the losses had hit everyone hard.

With so many having died in the span of just a day or so many people especially the newspapers back home had referred to the battle as a defeat for humanity.

And Harry could not help but agree with all of them at the appropriate title.

Was it truly victory if you had lost so much in the process.

For days after the battle, Harry had barely gotten any sleep.

What he had seen on May the Tenth had left images and memories in his mind that probably last a lifetime.

Now more than ever Harry had realized how truly horrible smelling dead people where.

Even when he put a bubblehead charm on himself Harry swore that the stench of death still permeated the air.

The sooner they disposed of the bodies really the better it would be for everybodys sanity.

And then Harry could leave this godforsaken place behind him.

But sadly that was easier said than done.

President Bayard had indicated that over the next year that he would be in the presidency he was determined to do better with the aftermath of the end of the war than President Fillon did in 1981 after the end of the First Wizarding War.

After Voldemort's Death, the remainder of the Death Eaters had scattered across much of Europe while trying to go into hiding.

Many of the European Nations whos prisons the Death Eaters had escaped from had then been quite vigilant in capturing the fleeing Death Eaters.

And now President Bayard was working on creating a sort of War Crimes Tribunal similar to what the Allies of the Muggle World War Two had done in Nuremberg.

Whatever else happened justice had to be better than it had seventeen years ago and the Death Eaters could not be let off the hook as easily as before.

But that meant a lot more work in organizing the War Trials that Harry had to do when he got back to France.

He was more than willing to do the work though.

The Forces that had led to two bloody Wizarding Wars must be put down so that in another twenty or thirty years they were not facing another war of this magnitude.

Elena must not have to fight in a war when she was older.

If anything else Harry promised that he would do whatever he could to achieve that.

She must not go through what he had to go through.


	104. Chapter 104

Chapter 103

May 25th, 1998

France

Harry never felt more exhausted and exuberant in his life before.

The Cleanup process after Hogwarts was truly exhausting with having to identify hundreds of bodies before shipping them overseas to be buried.

It was amazing how many different countries the Death Eaters had recruited foreign mercenaries from.

Heck, he found someone who had fought for the Death Eaters from Brazil.

Brazill!

How they got over to England Harry had no idea.

And now Harry was finally back in France for a few weeks before heading back to deal with the new British Government they were working on setting up.

Later on today he would also be attending Sebastian's funeral as well as the ceremonies for several other Coalition fighters who had been killed in the war.

It was going to be a very sad day.

But there were a few bright spots to look forward to now.

Harry and Fleur were going over to their Aunt's house to pick up Elena.

They had to leave their baby girl in a safe house right before they headed to England to face the Death Eaters for the Battle of Hogwarts.

But now it was time to collect Elena and they could return home and start to try and get back some sense of normality into their lives after weeks of heartbreak.

And the first step in that was seeing his daughter and sister in law again.

He watched as an anxious Fleur knocked on the door.

In what seemed like just a few seconds a crying Gabrielle Delcour flew out of the door into Fleurs arms.

Harry felt his stomach drop at seeing Gabby's despair.

She had not gone to England with the rest of the invasion force so it must have been a real shock to hear that her father had been killed.

He let the two sisters comfort each other over Sebastian's loss.

Soon enough they were up in the nursery that had been in just two weeks ago or so instead of dropping off someone picking someone up.

Harry felt heartened to see Elena sleeping peacefully.

"She has been just sleeping like a little lamb," Gabby said "Real pleasure to play with'.

"Good" Harry nodded.

It was nice to know that the turmoil of the past few days had not seemed to affect their daughter.

Fleur soon had Elena out of the crib and was holding her very possessive in her arms.

This whole room seemed weird to Harry now.

After seeing so much bloodshed and sorrow it was a bit weird to see such a peaceful scene.

He hoped he could see this for the rest of his life.

Soon Harry and Fleur where out the door with Elena and preparing to head home before getting ready for the funeral.

Before they left Fleur did work out some dates in the future where Gabby could come over and play with Elena.

That would be nice.

Harry quite liked his bubbly teenage sister in law's personality.

And now for the sad part of the trip coming home.

The funeral for Sebastian.

Harry and Fleur were sitting in one of the front rows of the church wearing a dark suit and a dark dress respectively.

Fleur had also opted to wear a veil and heels.

To start out Sebastian's funeral service Appoline would be delivering her own personal eulogy.

"Thank you all for coming today to show your love for my husband. I don't have to explain how important Sebastian was to anyone in this room. Everyone knows he was the greatest man on Earth. It only took meeting him once to remember him forever. He is and always will be my best friend and there will continually be a hole in my heart that will never heal".

Appoline stopped momentarily to collect herself before continuing.

"I want to thank all of our friends and family for the outpouring of love over the past few days. It has been extraordinary – and each story you have shared will help keep Sebastian alive in our hearts and memories"

"I met Sebastian 25 years ago during our fourth year of school"

." He quickly became my best friend. and we ended up having two truly joyful decades of the deepest love, happiest marriage, and truest partnership that I could imagine ... He gave me the experience of being deeply understood, truly supported and completely and utterly loved – and I will carry that with me always. Most importantly, he gave me the two most amazing children in the world.

Sebastian was my rock. When I got upset, he stayed calm. When I was worried, he said it would be ok. When I wasn't sure what to do, he figured it out. He was completely dedicated to his children in every way – and their strength these past few days is the best sign I could have that Sebastian is still here with us in spirit"

"Sebastian was my soul-mate. Plain and simple. It takes some people decades to find the person they were meant to be with. It takes others several tries to find them. And some, never do."

On that note, Harry felt Fleur grasp his hand protectively.

Appoline continued.

"I am one of those lucky few that found him on the first try. All it took was one look and I knew he was the man I was meant to spend the rest of my life with. I didn't get the rest of my life, but I got the rest of his. Our time together may have been cut short, but the happiness we shared together, will last a lifetime. I will mourn the loss of my husband, my best friend, my soul-mate, my everything. But, I will find comfort in the knowledge that he loves me to no end".

"Sebastian and I did not get nearly enough time together. But as heartbroken as I am today, I am equally grateful"

"Even in these last few weeks of complete hell – the darkest and saddest moments of my life – I know how lucky I have been. If the day I walked down that aisle with Sebastian someone had told me that this would happen – that he would be taken from us all in just 20 years – I would still have walked down that aisle. Because 20 years of being Sebastian Delcour's wife, and 20 years of being a parent with him is perhaps more luck and more happiness than I could have ever imagined. I am grateful for every minute we had together."

"As we put the love of my life to rest today, we will bury only his body. His spirit, his soul, his amazing ability to give is still with it. It lives on in the stories people are sharing of how he touched their lives, in the love that is visible in the eyes of our family and friends, in the spirit and resilience of our children. Things will never be the same ever again – but the world is better for the years my beloved husband lived."

"Thank you for your time"

After Appolines speech there was not a dry eye in the room

**Author Note** These are the British Pureblood Families that were wiped out in the war.

There are 28 Pureblood Families that got reduced by 18 down to 10.

Very big blow to the British.

Avery

Black

Bulstrode

Burke

Carrow

Crouch

Gaunt

Greengrass

Lestrange

Malfoy

Nott

Ollivander

Parkinson

Rosier

Rowle

Selwyn

Travers

Yaxley


	105. Chapter 105

Chapter 104

June 10th, 1998

French Presidential Palace

Harry had almost forgotten how boring meetings could be over the past month.

Almost.

For many of the people that were slowly returning from England, it was now the beginning of a slow return to what normalcy that they could.

Fleur and Elena were both settling back into the house and Harry had then realized that his wife seemed a lot more protective than usual.

War could cause you to change afterward in small ways Harry was just now realizing.

He had been having nightmares ever since Hogwarts and from what he had been seeing the others who he was working with that fought in the war were not faring much better if the signs of low amount of sleep were any indicator of things.

But then again that could be the result of the other work they were busy with including the big project he was currently in a meeting over.

Demobilization.

During the war, Sebastian had gathered a Coalition Force of over ten thousand fighters that came from over forty different countries all over the place.

And now the problem was that now that the war was over the Magical World had to deal with a unique problem with their history.

What would be a good way to bring all of those fighters back to their homes in a neat orderly and safe way.

And therein lies the problem.

England.

During the war, thousands of Coalition Fighters had occupied major areas of England as they retook the country from the Death Eaters.

And now their where several Government officials across Europe that wanted to keep forces in England for a set period of time to make sure that the Death Eaters and their supporters were rooted out as the English Government was rebuilt after having half of their 1995 staff were killed in the war.

So after conferring with his European counterparts, President Bayard had announced the formation of a group of two thousand Coalition fighters under French Deputy Secretary of Defense Arnaud Montebourg that would be acting as an occupation force for the foreseeable future.

President Bayard had proposed to the Cabinet that a motion be sent to the Senate so that Montebourgs force would stay in England for at least five years until 2004 or longer if the new British Government wished so.

That would need to be decided by the Senate due to the fact that the 1996 War Powers Act no longer applied to the current situation.

It was a good thing then that the Senate was quite cooperating and understanding about the current situation.

They had a lot of work to do over the next nine months involving England.

Changes had to be made to the British System.

The Death Eaters that had been rounded up at the end of the war would go on trial starting in mid-November in Switzerland where twenty-three Death Eaters would have to face justice in front of an International Tribunal in Bern.

But before that could happen a lot of work had to be done to prepare.

Thankfully though Harry was not massively involved in planning for the trials or else he was sure he would never have time to go home to his family.

His work now mostly entailed communication between the various parties.

President Bayard had been talking with the new British Minister of Magic about new measures that had to be implemented.

Amelia Bones had sent a letter just this morning that she had agreed to the Presidents demands that as such.

1 Azkaban would be rid of Dementors and turned into a more suitable prison.

2 The abolishment of the Wizengamot and the plans to elect a British Magical Parliament chosen through a national vote.

3 Passage of the Equalization Act thereby making various groups in England full citizens of Magical England.

4 The loss of house title for several people that had supported the Death Eaters and had survived Hogwarts thus meaning their families would become extinct.

Those ideas were not popular with everyone in England but that was not important.

A lot of the people complaining probably supported the Death Eaters during the war and the fact that the British could not complain about the Coalition due to the fact that the Coalition saved their ass during the war.

So go figure.

It would take a lot of time to make sure all of those ideas were fully implemented though.

More work to do over the past few months.

Just wonderful..

There was something else that had been happening ever since they had returned from home from England.

Harry's wife was now hornier than ever with Elena being older now.

That's why Fleur greeting him with a kiss once he got home was not unusual at all.

But he also sensed that she was nervous more than usual.

"Hey," He said, "How's everything going".

"Good," She said appearing nervous "Elena went to bed early.''

"Ok" Harry nodded "Are you ok you seem a bit nervous".

Fleur breathed in and then "Harry I went to the doctors today after missing my recent period".

Harry felt nervous but continued "And".

"I'm pregnant again" Fleur blurted out.

Harry blinked and then "That's wonderful," He said.

Fleur breathed in "I know now that the war is over I was thinking about talking with you about having some more kids anyway.''

Harry thought about that for a second. "More kids," He asked, "How many did you have in mind".

"I'm not sure yet," Fleur said, "Maybe a couple more before I turn thirty".

"Haven't you been taking the potion ever since Elena was born though?"Harry asked.

On that note, Fleur looked a bit sheepish "Yeah but I stopped taking the potion after the funerals had finished" She said.

Harry shook his head "Well whatever you want to do dear have you told Appoline and Gabby yet".

"No," Fleur said "I figured we could do that later but for now would you mind taking a walk with me outside," She asked.

"Sure" Harry nodded.

As they walked outside Harry thought about more kids.

With the war over now any future kids would be brought into a much safer world than the one Elena was born into.

And Harry was perfectly fine with new children.

It was nice that Elena would soon have another baby sister to play with and maybe some more in the following years.

To be honest, Fleur getting pregnant again was not that surprising.

Ever since Hogwarts she had been constantly horny wanting to have sex with him on some days up to ten times.

Harry was just a fan of sex with his wife as anyone else but even for him, his wife's enthusiasm was a bit surprising.

Oh Well.

He had plenty of other work to do over the next few months he may as well enjoy his time at home as much as he could.

What an interesting first month back in France.

**Author Note** Now that the war is over Fleur and Harry will be having a few more children.


	106. Chapter 106

Chapter 105

October 20th, 1998

French Presidential Palace

Harry rubbed his eyes as he left the Fontgombault Room after having concluded his last meeting that he would be sitting in on as the Presidential Director of Communications.

He had worked out with President Bayard that they would be calling a Press Conference where they would be announcing that Harry would be resigning his role as Communication Director to start a campaign to run for the Senate in March of 1999 against Senator Maria Deraismes.

It was not an easy decision to make but Harry felt confident that he was ready for the race.

Over the course of the past couple of months he had gotten good press as working on the aftermath of the war as well as his help in entering Hogwarts that caused a boost in his own approval rating where polls in the region of France where he would be running in showed his approval rating was at 55 Percent compared to Deraismes 52 Percent approval.

That would not necessarily lead to a victory in March but Harry was ready for the slog

He walked into a side room and was happy to see his family waiting for him.

When Harry went on the stage to speak to the press with President Bayard he would be flanked by Fleur and Appoline who had been fully supportive of his Senate run.

Appoline had said that she had done a sit-down interview with a popular French newspaper that would air tomorrow that included his mother in laws ringing endorsement for his Senate bid speaking as a popular formal Presidential spouse and someone who had several times acted as a shrewd campaign manager for her husbands Senate campaigns.

It was a nice gesture.

Soon after chatting with Fleur for a few minutes they had to start walking to where the press conference would be held.

President Bayard soon took the stage where he introduced Harry and allowed him to say what he wanted to say.

Thank you, Mr. President:

I have been privileged to serve as our country's 37th Presidential Director of Strategic Communications which has allowed me to work alongside the wonderful people in this Administration and the last one in the defense of our citizens and our ideals.

I am proud of the progress that has been made over the past three years on some of the key goals articulated in President Delcours National Defense Strategy: putting the country on a more sound budgetary footing, improving readiness and lethality in our forces, and reforming our business practices for greater performance.

Ever since I have joined your Administration in May Mr. President I have realized that the best way for me to serve this nation is no longer in this mansion.

Thus this evening I am opening my formal campaign for the Senate to challenge Senator Deraismes. I ask the voters to consider with me in this first discussion those broad questions of public policy which distinguish me from my political opponent. I ask you to do this so that as the campaign develops you will have a general guide to help you decide between us. For I believe deeply with President Bayard that we, as candidates, "Owe it to the people to talk sensibly about facts...about actual issues...and about alternative courses across the limitless range of France's problems and dangers."

This fundamental difference in political parties is important for the control of the Senate may now hinge on the results of this upcoming campaign. For the Senate is very evenly divided today. A shift in control will mean that the Senate will be organized by the UDF, and the important posts of Committee Chairmen will be theirs. It will then be the Peterhansels, the Bianchettis and the Giraudouxs—Senators who have opposed every conservative measure—who will direct and guide the whole of the Senate and in that way fasten upon this country their backward views. There is thus at issue in this campaign, not merely the differences between myself and Senator Deraismes, but also the greater issue as to what party and what political principles are to prevail.

We need men in the Senate who will stand up and fight for France's interest – not only in the marketplaces of international business, but before the Paris bureaus, the committees, and in the halls of the Senate.

A main area of difference between Mrs. Deraismes and myself relates to what we will do to help the people of France and our constituents.

The true worth of a Senator is measured not along by his service to the Nation as a whole. It is also measured by his efforts on behalf of the people of his own district.

It is the duty of a Senator to look to his own...to see that the interests of the people he represents, their lives, their jobs, their security, are protected. My interests are as national and international as anyone's, but it is my belief that a Senator must make time for the affairs of his district.

Today we stand at one of the turning points in our history. All that is needed now is recognition of our assets and our needs...and then, armed with that dual recognition...to go out and fight for a richer, a tougher, a better France.

I thus believe it is right for me to step down from my current position to run for the Senate full time. The end date for my tenure will be October 28, 1998

I have very much have appreciated this opportunity to serve this nation these past few years and I would like to thank you for giving me this honor.

Thank you

There was then light applause as President Bayard and Appoline stepped up to make some remarks to finish off the Press Conference.

**Author Note** Harry will now run to defeat Incumbent Senator Maria Deraismes of the opposing UDF Party who has been in office since 1975 Twenty Three Years.

And I am going to write something that is unique in the Harry Potter universe where Harry runs a political campaign with the goal to win enough votes to win an election against a sitting long term politician.

Also, I would like to say that I come from a family with four siblings so that makes me more inclined to see stories about large families due to my own experiences.

Some of you may not like Fleur and Harry having a lot of kids but large families' stories are sort of my thing more or less now.

But each and everyone will have a purpose and something unique about them and I'm sure you will still like the story.

I have never written anything without a purpose to it.


	107. Chapter 107

Chapter 106

March 28th, 1999

Laferrière Manor

It was finally time for Election Day 1999.

Harry felt absolutely exhausted and ready for this election to be over one way or another after five long months of campaigning viciously for a French Senate Seat.

When Harry had heard from other Senators about how grueling campaigning for be he realized now where they were coming from.

In order to get his message across Harry had to go on a very vigorous campaign tour where he had probably visited over one hundred places across his district meeting people talking to them and trying to get them to vote for him on Election Day.

Even with Appoline's help, it was a truly draining procedure.

But he supposed that was why Senators only had to do that every six years.

By the start of March, polls had shown him in a virtual dead heat with Senator Deraismes with the most recent poll on March 17th showing him leading by a one-point margin which was within the margin of error.

And that closeness worried Harry although he supposed it was to be expected when he was trying to unseat an incumbent Senator that had been in office for longer than he had been alive.

During the last week on the sprint to Election Day Harry had been traveling non stop talking to people and ending in a large rally that he went too with 8 other Senators.

But now the campaign was over and the only thing left was to wait with everyone else for the results to come in from all around the country.

And he would be spending the night at the manor of party Chairman Hubert Laferrière where all 33 RPR Candidates both Incumbent Senators and people like Harry who were running their first elections would be meeting to listen to the election results.

The opposing 33 UDF Candidates would be meeting in their Chairmans Brune Poirsons Manor.

Each manor had 33 Fireplaces were the opposing candidates in each race could talk to each other when the time came for one of them to concede the race.

But until then the candidates along with their families and the party leadership would be gathering in the manor while listening to the radios as the results came in.

And thus Harry arrived at the Manor with his Campaign Manager Christophe Castaner who he had met working for Sebastian.

It was now about five o'clock and the polls would not close for another hour and that would be when the first election results would end up coming in.

As they walked into the Manor Harry greeted his wife who was in their already with Appoline with a kiss on her cheek making sure to be careful around Fleurs' pregnant belly.

That was something that he hoped that after the election he would be able to focus slightly more on now that the campaigning season had ended.

He felt guilty that he had not been able to spend time with his wife and Elena over the past couple of months but the demands of campaigning were severe.

And while Election Day would be coming up today a more important thing that would be happening soon was that Fleur would be having their second child soon.

Harry promised himself that he would stop whatever he was doing when his wife went into labor.

Despite the Senate Election Harry's priorities were still crystal clear.

As they moved into the building Harry was impressed by how large the interior was along with all of the people that shuffled along the hallways.

He recognized dozens of Senators as well as staff members.

This was an impressive manor and operation they had running here.

Although Harry supposed it had to work considering this was basically the RPR Headquarters for the night and what the media had liked to term the "War Room".

The Front Entrance to the Manor was not what would be considered a War Room though.

That was where they were going to now.

In the Center of the Manor, there was a giant couch where people where relaxing on as they listened to the radio chatter about the election predictions before the actual results started to come in.

This couch was probably where they were going to spend a good part of at least the next ten hours waiting for all of the results to come in.

Long night that was going to be for sure.

Once they got into the area Appoline went off to talk with Jacqueline Maquet an important party strategist.

And Harry and Fleur ended up sitting down in a chair.

They may as well get comfortable

Harry knew he was in for the long haul now.

Harry was in what many people called the war room.

There was a room in the Manor that only the candidates could enter on Election Night.

It was a room that had a giant map of France with all of the districts drawn in as well as the districts that would be up for grabs tonight.

As soon as the first results came in the districts would start to shade in depending on who won the respective races.

It was self-updating so all of the candidates could come to the map and see how the night was turning out around the nation.

But now since the polls had yet to close the map was still all grey.

That was going to change soon as it was a few minutes before the first polls closed at 6 for seven Senate races including several potential pickups.

Unfortunately, the polls in his district would not close until nine-thirty though by hearing the remainder of the races could give him a good indicator of how his race against Senator Deraismes would go down.

He hurried back to the living room and sat down with Fleur as the radios started blaring the first election results delivered by newscasters Jacques Krabal and Valérie Rabault.

"Good Evening, Welcome to live coverage of Election Night 1999. Today voters participated

In elections that will send 33 Senators to Paris".

"We will be live as results come in from across the country and the contours of the new Senate become more clear. Polls have closed in ten districts at this hour and we are beginning to learn more about the outcomes."

"As we track the first results in the crucial swing district covering the Loire Valley where Guillaume Larrivé and Michèle Crouzet are fighting for the seat of retiring UDF Senator Danièle Cazarian".

"In that race looking mostly at the rural vote the RPR Candidate Michèle Crouzet is ahead with close to sixty percent of the vote counted with twenty percent of precincts reporting, although we would like to point out that several villages have yet to finish counting their votes yet areas that have been heavily UDF in the past including areas where Senator Cazarian won by over twenty points in 1993".

"When it comes to another UDF Retirement in the region of Alsace Laurence Vichnievsky and André Chassaigne are in a virtual dead heat with over seventy percent of the vote counted".

"Now for three races that will be key to both parties tonight. Former Senator Valérie Kaprisky is ahead with about 25 percent of the vote against the RPR Candidate Pierre Guyotat who it might be said defeated Kaprisky in 1993 and now it looks like she may end up getting her seat back

After hearing those initial results Harry joined it a side conversation with Finance Chairman Olivier Martinez who had led the parties' outreach campaign during their last bad election season in 1987.

There was good and bad news coming out of tonight but nothing yet to indicate what the balance of power in Paris would be.

Soon they were drawn to the radio again.

"We can finally project our first race in the 10th Senate District were in one of the most expensive races of this year UDF Francios Rozenthal has defeated incumbent Senator Émile Delahaye in this district on the outskirts of Paris that could be a sign of where things could go later on tonight.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see Senator Delahaye leaving one of the side rooms with a pained expression on her face.

She had probably just had to concede to Rosenthal.

"We can also now project that UDF Senator Madeleine Damerment has won a third term in the Senate by defeating Marc Fesneau".

Soon realizing that there would not be any more interesting news coming in for at least another half hour or so Fleur and Harry decided to leave the living room and join a group of other party members that were relaxing on the back patio with the radios constantly on high.

The two of them ended up finding a nice couch by the pool to sit down on as they listened to the radio.

Ah, this was much better and a lot less claustrophobic than inside.

Fleur nestled her head on Harry's shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her waist as he listened to the radio as it picked up again.

"We are finally now able to project a slew of winners in various districts" It was announced.

Florence Lasserre has defeated Jacques Bompard to keep the seat in the hands of the RPR and to replace the retiring President Bayard".

They're where cries of relief all around at hearing that important victory.

On the couch across from Harry, he saw Senator Lenorman lead a few other Senators to toast Senator-Elect Lasserres Victory.

But soon the newstream continued with another piece of news that took the mickey out of the celebrations.

"In better news for the UDF though their Incumbent Senators Michel Polnareff, Stéphane Peterhansel, and Michèle Morgan defeated RPR Challengers Marguerite Deprez-Audebert, Daniel Fasquelle, and Christophe Naegelen respectively.

There was then moans from several people at hearing that news.

Those three seats were some of the party's best opportunities at pickups in the election.

"Although in two close races it is now able to be projected that RPR Senators Fernand Braudel and Charles Ranhofter were able to win their reelection bids.

"And now on the top of the hour, we can also project two UDF pickups".

"The first pickup comes where former Senator Valerie Kaprisky has won back her old seat by defeating Incumbent Senator Pierre Guyotat".

"The second pick up is more supprising where the UDF Candidate Charlotte Fréhel was able to defeat Grégory Galbadon to win the seat held by former President Delcour".

There was shock radiating out from everyone on the patio at that news.

How could that have happened since everyone was sure Galbadon was going to be able to pull over the finish line due to his role during the war and helping to organize the Switzerland War Trials.

And that made Harry nervous.

He basically had the same record as Galbadon did in Government and during the war.

Harry decided he needed to go back inside to the war room so he could see how the results of his race were turning out.

"I'll be back in a sec" Harry whispered kissing Fleur on the cheek.

"Ok," She said "Good luck".

Harry hastily walked up the stairs and back into the manor that was a hotbed of activity by this point even at nearly ten o'clock.

Senators and their staffs were hastily whispering to each other while listing to the results coming in.

As he walked into the War Room Harry heard other pieces of encouraging news.

Out of the 13 Remaining Seats that the party was holding onto another five races had been projected for the RPR Incumbent.

On the flip side of that, a lot of the UDF Seats had now been called though.

As he walked to the map he heard a message on the radio.

"The RPR Candidate Michèle Crouzet has now been projected to win the open seat by Guillaume Larrivé and in the Sixty-Third District with another UDF Retirement Laurence Vichnievsky has been projected to win the seat by narrowly defeating the UDF Candidate André Chassaigne although with the close margin it looks like the Chassaigne will ask for a recount".

"With losses on both sides, the current balance is even".

Finishing listening Harry moved to see his district on the map.

His race was incredibly close across the whole region.

It was encouraging to see how much of the countryside Harry was winning but it was also discouraging to see the large margin Senator Deraismes was racking up in the key Chalons Area.

So with only half the votes in and the race a virtual dead tie that meant that it could still be some time before he knew if he had won or not and if he would become a Senator.

He also saw another person come up to look at his district's results.

It was the Party Press Secretary Geneviève Darrieusse.

She nodded upon seeing the results.

"Good job Delcour," She said, "You might be able to get us another pickup".

"You think I can win," Harry asked incredulously.

"Sure," She said, "I've been in this business for a while and I know Senator Deraismes and I now that if there is any candidate in the past twenty years that can defeat her it is you".

"Thanks" He stammered proud to have the confidence of such a powerful party figure.

"No Problem," She said walking over to another group of people.

Harry took one more look at the close numbers.

Dear Merlin.

This was going to be a long night.

**Author Note** Yes I did not end up writing the campaign but it was simply visiting places and talking to people

And the manor had 33 fireplaces because it was specifically tailored to be party headquarters during an election season.

Right now Harry and Senator Deraismes are in a dead heat on who will win the Senate Race.

Hope you enjoy


	108. Chapter 108

Chapter 107

March 29th, 1999

Laferrière Manor

Harry was just ready for this night to be over with.

Throughout the night races from all around the country had been called allowing people to know that the RPR would keep their Senate Majority in the new session losing one seat along the way.

If Harry managed to win though the balance of power in the Senate would remain stable at 55/45.

Right now Harry was in the War Room as they pored over the results coming in turning the map full with the Senators and candidates who had won their races.

His race against Senator Maria Deraismes was still close with Harry currently having a one and a half-point lead.

He was talking about the results with his Campaign Manager Christophe Castaner when news came in over the radio.

"This just in with ninety eight percent of the vote counted we are able to project that Harry Delcour has unseated Incumbent Senator Maria Deraismes with 50.3 Percent of the vote to 47.4 Percent a narrow victory but Dumonte the less with almost all of the votes counted it can be projected that Harry Delcour will unseat Maria Deraismes and become the Senator-Elect from the Fiftyith District".

Upon hearing that news the War Room broke out in cheers with people laughing and congratulating Harry on becoming the only one to have defeated a UDF Senator in the 1999 Election Cycle.

Harry felt numb.

He had actually done it.

He had won the Senate Race.

Holly Fuck.

Soon someone pushed her way through the crowd.

It was RPR Press Secretary Geneviève Darrieusse.

"Congratulations are in order," She said "Do you have your legislative team set out yet," She asked.

Harry blinked.

Ah yes, each Senate Candidate was expected to have people lined up to serve on a potential legislative team after they were sworn in a week after the Election.

"Oh Yes I have those planned out," Harry said.

I would like my Chief of Staff to be Christophe Castaner my Scheduler to be Franck Riester my Legislative Director to be Anissa Khedher and my Press Secretary to be Sereine Mauborgne

"Ok" Geneviève nodded "I will get that worked out now".

Harry felt a tap on his shoulder.

It was Christophe.

"There is a floo call for you sir," He said, "It's from Éric Coquerel".

Senator Deraismes Campaign Manager !.

"I'm on my way," Harry said following his new Chief of Staff to one of the side Floo Chambers where a head was in the fire.

It was Senator Deraismes.

"Greetings Senator," Harry said, "What can I do for you on this fine day".

She seemed pained saying this but continued Dumontetheless "I wanted to congratulate you on a good campaign Mr. Senator Elect" She said.

"With my kids now old and moved out of the house, I have no problem conceding to you and knowing that I can go back home to spend more time with my family".

"Thank you, Senator," Harry said, "I wish you the best of luck in the future and I will see you on Inauguration Day".

She nodded "I look forward to it" Before her head disappeared back into the fire.

Harry let out the breath he did not know that he was consciously holding in.

He had done it.

He was going to be a Senator.

Wow.

As he talked with Castner a few more minutes he was interrupted by Appoline coming into the room.

He turned to thank her for the help during the campaign but Appoline stopped him.

"Fleur has gone to the hospital," Appoline said "She went into labor'.

Well fuck thats great.

* * *

The week after the election was exausting for everyone.

Fleur ended up giving birth to a healthy baby girl that they had decided to name Natalie.

And then shortly after that was done Harry was busy getting everything ready for his Inauguration as a Senator.

He had gotten his legislative staff together and had visited the Senate where he had chosen his desk on the Senate Floor and his new office in the Rotunda.

It was a daunting thing to look forward to but Harry was encouraged by the other Senators that warmly welcomed him and the other new Senators.

After he was sworn in the Senate would vote on the new president and the new Senators would find out their committee assignments.

Harry hoped that he got something good.

Now it was time for the day of the inauguration.

Despite having given birth just a few days ago though Fleur made sure that she was able to make it to Paris so that she could attend her husband's swearing-in ceremony.

Currently, they were standing near the door of the Senate Chamber.

For the opening day, the newly elected Senators would be called up to the floor of the Senate where they would be sworn in by the Dean of the Senate Michèle de Vaucouleurs in groups of four before they took their seats.

The Senate had a seniority system where the re-elected Senators would be sworn in first followed by the Senators who had held the seats of retiring Senators and then Senators who had flipped seats.

As part of that last group, Harry would be getting sworn in alongside Charlotte Fréhel Laurence Vichnievsky and Michèle Crouzet 3 people that had also flipped seats in the election.

Before he knew it his name was being called to come to the Senate Floor.

As they walked down the Senate Aisle Fleur held Harry's hand as they walked to the front of the Senate where Harry joined Fréhel, Vichnievsky, and Crouzet up on the floor.

Vaucouleurs looked at them.

"Please raise your hands," She asked.

Harry raised his left hand and listened to what the Dean had to say.

"Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend France against all enemies, foreign and domestic and that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter:

"I do," The group said.

"Welcome to the Senate," She said, "Please be seated".

Harry held his arm around Fleurs waist as he walked to his desk.

Due to his new status, Harry was in the back of the Senate Chamber.

Harry and Fleur whispered quietly to each other until Dean Vaucouleurs opened the Senate Chamber.

"The first business of this chamber is to decide on a new president for this nation," She said "The Majority Party has nominated Senator Duverger and the Minority Party has nominated Senator Dumont for the position.

"The roll call will now be called and those responding to their names will respond in surname the nominee of their choosing".

"The Clerk will now call the roll".

Senator Adjani Dumont

Senator Lasserre Duverger

Senator Lenorman Duverger

Senator Zola Duverger

Senator Latham Duverger

Senator Lender Dumont

Senator Crouzet Duverger

Senator Turcat Dumont

Senator Verne Dumont

Senator Arnault Dumont

Senator Morgan Dumont

Senator Cassel Duverger

Senator Garnier Dumont

Senator Peterhansel Dumont

Senator Réage Duverger

Senator Cousteau Dumont

Senator Moniotte Duverger

Senator Marvingt Dumont

Senator Bianchetti Duverger

Senator Canet Duverger

Senator Poulain Dumont

Senator Bresson Dumont

Senator Racine Duverger

Senator Duriès Dumont

Senator Abitbol Duverger

Senator Tourneur Dumont

Senator Huppert Dumont

Senator Hazanavicius Duverger

Senator Ducasse Duverger

Senator Yourcenar Dumont

Senator Aznavour Duverger

Senator Cousteau Dumont

Senator Depardieu Dumont

Senator Montillet Dumont

Senator Giraudoux Duverger

Senator Dezobry Duverger

Senator Linder Dumont

Senator Carré Duverger

Senator Éluard Dumont

Senator Guillem Duverger

Senator Poiret Duverger

Senator Bore Duverger

Senator Braudel Dumont

Senator Casta Dumont

Senator Vichnievsky Duverger

Senator Sabatier Dumont

Senator Rubel Duverger

Senator Carême Dumont

Senator Bernadis Duverger

Senator Rigaudeau Duverger

Senator Moreau Dumont

Senator Dussopt Duverger

Senator Lenglen Duverger

Senator Bonnaire Dumont

Senator Pinault Duverger

Senator Grappelli Duverger

Senator Braudel Dumont

Senator Bettencourt Duverger

Senator Faidherbe Duverger

Senator Perrault Dumont

Senator Rolfe Duverger

Senator Semoun Dumont

Senator Perrault Duverger

Senator Schueller Dumont

Senator Ricci Duverger

Senator Rykiel Dumont

Senator Desailly Duverger

Senator Dessay Dumont

Senator Blanchot Duverger

Senator Martinez Dumont

Senator Roussel Duverger

Senator Caron Dumont

Senator Sarraute Duverger

Senator Escoffier Dumont

Senator Debreu Duverger

Senator Roussel Duverger

Senator Hirtzler Dumont

Senator Veyrat Duverger

Senator Dupuit Duverger

Senator Ranhofer Duverger

Senator Delcour Duverger

Senator Duverger Duverger

Senator Bathori Dumont

Senator Lassalle Duverger

Senator Guilbert Dumont

Senator Kaprisky Duverger

Senator Griveaux Dumont

Senator Larbaud Duverger

Senator Deneuve Duverger

Senator Agathe Dumont

Senator Feydeau Duverger

Senator Girardot Dumont

Senator Villechaize Duverger

Senator Gaudin Duverger

Senator Auriol Duverger

Senator Delahaye Duverger

Senator Rozenthal Duverger

Senator Dumont Dumont

Senator Vatel Duverger

Senator Avril Duverger

Senator Fréhel Duverger

After conferring with some other staff memebrs Vaucouleurs spoke again.

"The Teller and the Clerk agree in their tally that the number of votes cast is one hundred from which the number cast for Senator Duverger is fifty-five and the number cast for Senator Dumont is Forty-five".

"Maurice Duverger is then chosen as the new President of the French Republic".

They're were polite applause from the chamber at that.

And just like that Harry had cast his first vote as a French Senator.

But now it was time for the photo ops.

Dear Merlin today was going to be long.

**Author Note **Sorry I did not write anything about Natalies Birth but it would basically be the same as Elenas and I didn't want to be copying myself


	109. Chapter 109

Chapter 108

April 15th, 1999

Switzerland

As part of the committee assignments Harry had received at the start of the Senate Session was that one of the committees that he was now serving on was the Senate Intelligence Committee as well as the Judiciary and Appropriations Committees.

Part of Harry's work on Intelligence now was that Chairman Vatel wanted a select group of their committee to travel to Switzerland where they were currently in the fifth month of trials where twenty-three high ranking Death Eaters that survived the war would be tried for their war crimes

And Harry was of course chosen to visit Switzerland on an official capacity as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

So now he was freezing his ass off in Switzerland for a week but it would be very interesting to see how the trials turned out.

Today he was going to listen to the testimony of Józef Zajączek and Friedrich Gollwitzer two people who had been in Voldemort's Outer Circle who was accused of killing over a dozen muggle children during the war in several very gruesome and macabre ways especially after a bloody November 1997 Raid in Manchester.

On top of that the two of them where wanted criminals in their home countries that we're serving multiple life sentences before they had been broken out to join the Death Eaters.

So there would be people from Germany and Poland that would be testifying against the two Death Eaters in the proceedings today.

Harry got the impression that sitting in on this whole trial was going to be quite depressing, to say the least, but there was not much that he could do about it.

He was a member of the French Senate and it was now his job to travel and report on the war trials for the Senate and the Intel Committee Leadership.

That and he was interested in seeing what would happen to the Death Eaters and how the War Trials now would be different than those eighteen years ago.

Deciding to get ready to head out Harry left his hotel room and down the stairwell to where the rest of the French Delegation would be meeting before heading over to the courtroom.

He saw the other Senator that was traveling to Switzerland Valérie Lacroute as well as the Minister of Defense Raphaël Gauvain, Attorney General Damien Pichereau, Ambassador to the International Confederation of Wizards Nathalie Bassire and Presidential Chief of Staff Jean-Claude Leclabart who had succeeded Harry last October.

It was a high ranking delegation that made Harry extremely confused.

He and Senator Lacroute where freshmen in the Senate and so it made no sense why freshman Senators would be sent to Switzerland instead of more experienced people.

It was not his decision to make though so he would not complain and do what he was told.

He greeted his fellow Senator,

"Morning Valerie," Harry said.

"Morning," She said as she was currently talking with the Attorney General "I was talking with Damien and he was saying something about traffic".

Pichereau nodded "To get to the area where the trials are being held we have to travel through some Muggle Areas that are undergoing construction now so our route has to be rerouted now".

"Ok" Harry nodded "So when are the cars coming," He asked.

Pichereau looked at his watch "Right now" He said turning to the rest of the group calling out "Ok everyone please start heading outside I believe our limo should be here soon" He said.

Harry followed everyone else out of the front door of the hotel where they walked across the way to the limo that would be their transportation to the courtroom for the next couple of days.

As he walked Harry looked at the others around him most of whom just like himself were wearing a suit and tie.

He truly was a Senator now.

That thought followed Harry as he got into the limo after Bassire and Leclabart.

* * *

After getting out of the limo Harry and everyone else entered Gerichtsgebäude über das Schicksal der Verurteilten des zweiten Zaubererkriegs the specialty location of the war trials to find hordes of reporters lining the aisles leading to the entrance to the courtroom. They screamed and shouted out questions but they could not mob the delegation due to the guards massed along the aisles.

Harry and the rest of the group entered the courtroom where they were giving their language headphones and where directed to the first row of seats, where the other guests could also be seated.

He looked at the headphones that they had been given.

In terms of the Magical world, these where recent revolutionary technology that would allow people to hear the other languages people were speaking that was especially important in a courtroom where people would be speaking in many different languages.

Harry put his headphones on and looked around as spectators and reporters already filled the gallery and the judges were slowly filling into their seats.

Harry spotted Edmund Glaise-Horstenau the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards who had narrowly defeated Babajide Akingbade in a tough leadership race last month. After a short time, Glaise-Horstenau banged his gavel and the door to the side of the courtroom opened. Two men were escorted in and seated in chairs with chains. The chains glowed golden for a moment and wrapped around the men. The guards moved to the side of the courtroom.

Glaise-Horstenau nodded to a young woman who picked up a quill and started to write.

"The trial of the Fifteenth of April of the year of nineteen hundred and ninety-nine in the matter of the accused Death Eaters Józef Franz Zajączek and Friedrich Erwin Gollwitzer."

He speared the men with his gaze; "You two are accused of being Death Eaters in the service of the evil wizard Tom Riddle, also known as the Dark Lord Voldemort. You are accused of murder, assault with deadly intention, use of an unforgivable curse, possession of Death Eater paraphernalia, theft of property, membership in a terrorist organization, torturing underage muggle children, killing and dismembering human beings, and conspiracy to overthrow the Magical government of Great Britain." Glaise-Horstenau turned to another man.

"When these men were arrested their wands were confiscated and tested. I have copies of the results for the members of the audience today as well as photographs taken at the time of the arrest." The man passed folders to a guard who began distributing them to the assembled Wizengamot members and guests.

He then continued; "As you can see, Prior Incantatem produced the last ten spells on each wand, and there was a least one unforgivable on each wand." the man turned to Glaise-Horstenau and nodded.

Glaise-Horstenau banged his gavel "The Wizengamot calls Senior Healer Louis Marie Guy d'Aumont de Rochebaron to the stand."

Healer d'Aumont walked and stood to the front of the courtroom. He was a distinguished-looking, older man with silver hair wearing a dress robe of pale green.

"Senior Healer, you examined these men upon their arrest for evidence of the Imperius curse?"

"Yes, Supreme Mugwump, I did."

"Please tell the court your findings."

"I found no evidence of the Imperius, I also ran several tests for the presence of controlling potions. Those tests were negative. I did, however, find the Dark Mark on each of their left forearms," stated the Healer.

"Thank you, Senior Healer, you may return to your seat." Glaise-Horstenau turned to the chained men.

"Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Zajączek glared at him and did not say anything.

Glaise-Horstenau eyed the men but they only looked away. "Very well, this court will recess for deliberation and in one hour we will call witness Carlo Zucchi and Erich Abraham to the stands to testify".

The gavel slammed down and people started muttering amongst each other.

* * *

The deliberations and testimony inside the courtroom had been going on for multiple hours by the time Harry left the courtroom to go to the bathroom.

He blinked though as when he left the room he was greeted by cameras and flashing lights.

Oh yeah, he had almost forgotten about the press pool outside the courtroom that were looking for scoops.

Upon hearing the voices shouted at him Harry decided to change his path deciding to walk to the podium and talk to the reporters for a few minutes about the trials.

"Hello everyone," Harry said, "The War Trials are currently ongoing and are covering topics definitely not for the faint of heart but I am confident that by the end of this process justice will be served to the fullest extent of the law and that crimes committed will not go unpunished".

He called on a reporter whose hand was raised.

"Yes Senator" The reporter began "Do you and the rest of the French Delegation have confidence in the Supreme Mugwumps ability to conduct a successful trial that will lead to justice for the victims of the war".

Harry thought carefully about his answer.

Edmund Glaise-Horstenau had won his leadership race narrowly and there had been much worry in the press about if he possessed the temperament and conviction to secure tough convictions for the Death Eaters.

The Supreme Mugwump at the end of the First Wizarding War Edward Vandermaesen had been ruthlessly criticized for getting lenient sentences for captured Death Eaters in 1981.

Harry did not want to criticize those who were conducting the trials though so he had to be careful.

"I could not speak for the rest of my colleagues," Harry said, "But from what I have seen in the past few hours of emotional testimony it is clear to everyone there that anything short of a harsh sentence would be a gross misjudgment on our humanity".

Harry then decided to answer a few more questions before he got moving again.

"Yes, you in the back," Harry said pointing to a reporter.

**Author Note** The War Trials for the Second Wizarding War will work for harsh sentences for captured Death Eaters that could potentially result in executions.

A lot more extreme than the war trials after Godrics Hollow and the first war.


	110. Chapter 110

Chapter 109

April 21st, 1999

France

Harry was exhausted

Over the past week, he had sat in on war trials for accused Death Eaters that were depressing as hell to watch

But now he had gotten the ability to go home on Wednesday instead of the Friday that Fleur had been expecting him home.

So now he had decided that he was going to surprise his wife by coming home early where they could spend some time together and he could finish his report for Intelligence in his home office.

And he could spend some time with his new daughter Natalie that to his utmost regret Harry had not seen a lot of due to the chaos of the Senate.

The past seven months had not been kind to spending time with his family but with the campaign over and the war trials entering their last months, Harry had confidence though that that would change.

After leaving Paris Harry apparated to the outside of the house.

He made sure to be as quiet as he could casting a silencing charm on his shoes as he walked in the front door.

Entering into the house he listened for noise on where people could be.

He heard what sounded like Fleur in the kitchen.

Walking quietly he entered the kitchen to see his wife trying to get Elena to eat some food.

But soon Elena noticed Harry walking in the entryway.

"Daddy" She squealed running into her father's outstretched arms.

"Hey princess," Harry said picking up his little girl.

"Harry" Fleur looked surprised turning to see her husband who she then embraced as well.

Harry chuckled.

"I thought you still had to work for the next two days," Fleur asked.

Harry shook his head "No" He said, "I need to work on my Committee Report at home a bit but we wrapped up our work in Switzerland a bit earlier than normal".

"Great" Fleur smiled "Than you are going to be home for a few days then".

"Yup" He replied.

: Good" Fleur smiled enjoying being with her husband and daughter.

Harry felt the same way after the rough past few weeks.

Finally separating and putting Elena on the ground Harry looked around.

"Wheres Natalie," He asked.

"Asleep" Fleur replied."She was quite active today".

Harry nodded before looking down at Elena "Hey princess" He said kissing his bubbly daughter "Did you behave for your mother when I was gone".

"Yes, Dady" Elena said in her cute little voice.

Harry smiled.

Fleur walked over to them "Elena was very busy today weren't you darling" She said, "Do you want to show daddy your drawings".

The little girls' energetic run to the table was enough of an answer for them.

"Here Daddy," Elena said handing him some drawlings "Do you like them".

He looked over the drawings.

"Very nice," Harry said, "You did a great job princess".

Harry's daughter beamed at the praise from her father.

Truth be told though he had no idea what these drawings were supposed to be over but he was proud over Elenas work nonetheless.

He saw Elena soon looked tired.

Looking up at the clock Harry realized that it was close to Elena's bedtime.

"Ok Princess," Harry said picking up Elena "Its time for you to go to bed".

Elena tried protesting that call but her little yawns made the point moot.

Soon after tucking Elena in and checking on Natalie Harry and Fleur went into their bedroom to catch up.

* * *

A couple of days later Fleur and Harry decided to take the family out on a little excursion in Muggle Paris.

So bright and early on Saturday morning Harry and Fleur were walking in the park with their children.

Fleur was pushing Natalie in a stroller and Harry was holding onto Elena as they walked hand in hand through the park.

Soon his daughter was wanting to go on the swings.

"You two can go on ahead," Fleur said, "I think Natalie will be up soon and I want to make sure she's fine".

Harry nodded and followed Elena to the swings.

He laughed as he pushed Elena on the swings.

"Higher, Higher" She squealed.

Harry smiled.

This was what he was missing with his work in the Senate recently.

Spending time with his family especially with his two growing children.

Even with a busy Senate session coming up he had to work out some time for his family.

And then maybe they could go somewhere in the June Recess.

But then Harry shook his head to try and stop thinking about work and focus on his daughter who after getting done with the swings was running to the playground.

As he got onto the playground to watch over Elena Harry realized that he felt very large on the structure.

Dear Merlin, he was still only in his twenties he should not feel cumbersome on here.

Nonetheless, he followed Elena around and made sure that she did not end hurting herself.

How different was this compared to the past few days?

He had spent the past month seeing negotiations in between Senators and Prosecutors.

On Monday he was listening to war crimes being read out and now he was playing with his daughter.

Harry was just hit with how weird of a statement that was.

Wow.

But then he saw Elena heading towards the slide.

"Can I go down that Daddy?" Elena asked.

"Sure princess," Harry said seeing Fleur coming up out of the corner of his eye.

"Weee" Elena cheered as she slid down the slide before being caught by Fleur who scooped up her daughter in her arms smothering her like a mother.

"Mommy" Elena protested trying to squeal out of her arms.

Harry smiled looking at the two as he got off the playground to go and join them.

"Ok, Ok," Fleur said placing Elena down who ran off to her next thing to play with.

Harry and Fleur shared a glance.

This is what children can entail he supposed and was something they knew they were going into when they had decided to have Natalie and they knew that it would happen with any future kids.

Oh well.

This sure was a hell of a lot better than sitting through the war trials.


	111. Chapter 111

Chapter 110

October 1st, 1999

Senate

It was time for the day of the sentencing of the Death Eaters captured at the end of the Second Wizarding War.

Harry was currently holed away with the rest of the Senate Intelligence Committee in a Conference Room watching the sentencing on one of the new Wizarding TVs Created just a few months previous.

After many hours of reviewing the Switzerland Testimonies, the Committee had held several votes on what course of action to instruct the French Judicial Delegation to recommend to the Wizgamnot after conferring closely with President Duverger and the members of Chairman Louboutins Judiciary Committee.

But ultimately even though they could decide on what their delegation would choose the full Wizgamnot Panel consisted of twenty-one members of whom they knew very little of how they would end up voting.

It was thus a very anxious Committee that huddled around to watch the Television in the Room.

Not having to wait long though as soon the news on the Tellie began,

Harry could just see that people were funneling into the courtroom including the Jurors followed by a line of the prisoners and the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards Edmund Glaise-Horstenau who opened up the proceedings by banging the gavel.

This was all news that Harry and the rest of the committee would be receiving before the rest of the country that would be seeing the results in the papers tomorrow.

Harry felt privileged to be able to watch this footage that only a few Senators could see at the moment.

Glaise-Horstenau began to address the courtroom

"In accordance with Article 27 of the Charter, the International Military Tribunal of the Confederation of Wizards will now pronounce the sentences on the defendants convicted on this Indictment.

Defendant Józef Zajączek, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the International Military Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

Defendant Friedrich Gollwitzer, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to imprisonment for life.

Defendant Fred Hadley, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

Defendant Ray Cadwallader on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

Defendant Frank Mayfield, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted. the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

Defendant Robert Reckman, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

Defendant Frank Gorman, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

Defendant Thomas Rentschler, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

Defendant Richard Hollington, on the count of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, The Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

Defendant David Weissert, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to imprisonment for life

Defendant Charles Kurfess, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to ten years imprisonment.

Defendant Mark Pemberton, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to imprisonment for life.

Defendant John Galbraith, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to twenty years imprisonment.

Defendant Clarence Wetzel, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

Defendant Bob Netzley, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

Defendant Rodney Greengrass, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

Defendant James Holzemer, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to twenty years imprisonment.

Defendant Alan Norris, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to fifteen years imprisonment.

Defendant Robert Roderer, on the counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

The Tribunal sentences the Defendant James Weldishofer on the counts of the Indictment on which he has been convicted, to death by hanging.

The Court will also then acquit these members of the defendants. Ankeney, Pokorny, Holmes, Tracy, and Murdock.

I also have an announcement to make. The French Member of the International Military Tribunal desires to record his dissent from the decisions in the cases of the Defendants Holmes, Murdock and Tracey. He is of the opinion that they should have been convicted and not acquitted.

He also dissents from the decision in the case of the sentence on the Defendant Gollwitzer, and is of the opinion that the sentence should have been death, and not life imprisonment.

This dissenting opinion will be put into writing and annexed to the judgment and will be published as soon as possible

The executions of the thirteen convicted Death Eaters will be set for two weeks from today to take place in the Murtgen-Heildeburg Detention Facility.

The Court has hereby adjourned" The Supreme Mugwump banged the gavel and the live television coverage ended.

All around the room people let out the bated breath that many did not even know they were holding and began whispering amongst each other.

"I really thought that Murdock was going to get the death penalty," Senator Kaprisky told Harry "I don't know how much more evidence the court needed to show that man is a mass murder".

"I know" Harry nodded, "I think almost all of us voted for his death".

"Except for Marie, Jane and Charlotte" Valerie pointed out "But even so they voted for life imprisonment, not acquittal".

"Well" Harry breathed in "Noone was going to agree with all the cases but I suppose that's what an International Body is supposed to work out".

Senator Kaprisky looked down the table at Chairman Vatel and Ranking Member Auriol who were conferring amongst themselves.

Soon the Chairman addressed the rest of the group after he had talked with the Ranking Member for a good ten minutes or so.

"I'm calling for a recess now," Vatel said, "You can all go home while I will go with Jacqueline to talk with leadership and then I'm thinking about calling a closed-door meeting either on Wednesday or Friday where we need to take a markup vote on the Lachaud nomination".

Soon they got the motion to leave.

Harry said goodbye to several of his new friends on Intelligence before apparating be met by an inquisitive wife.

"So," Fleur asked, "How did the results go".

"Thirteen executed," Harry said, "Almost all the ones I predicted would".

Fleur nodded at that.

"Hopefully now we can start focusing on other things with the war behind us," Harry said.

"Yes," Fleur said taking his hand "Come the kids have been wanting to see you for a while".

Harry smiled and followed his wife outside to the sight of Elena pulling Natalie around in a wheelbarrow.

Oh, dear Merlin.


	112. Chapter 112

Chapter 111

December 31st, 1999

Paris, France

It was a very special date for Harry and the rest of the world that they had worked so hard on for the past few months.

The 3rd Millenium Celebrations to be held across much of the Magical World corresponding with the Muggle events being planned for the next twenty-four hours.

Harry and Fleur after finding housekeepers for their children headed down to the main celebrations that will be held at the Elysee Palace. All of the leaders from the nations directly involved in the recent Second Wizarding War will be there and security has remained a focal point for many in the French Government especially for those on the Senate Intell Committee. Harry had been appointed to help be in charge of the palace security and for the last five weeks before the celebration, Harry along with other Intell Senators had worked with French Aurors and with Aurors all around the world to make sure that the palace security remained as tight as possible. Not only that, but they also had to work with muggles security services as well that turned out to be a challenge in itself.

But the weeks of hard work paid off and the night of the celebrations had finally come with everything in place.

Harry wearing his tuxedo helped Fleur out of the limo and silently watched as various limos and luxury cars waited in line in the driveway. From his vantage point, he could see various security agents, both disguised and undisguised that where strategically placed within the palaces sprawling compound.

It was satisfying to see his hard work manifest itself finally.

But he did not want to spend this important night worrying and use this time to spend some quality time with his wife.

Haar thought that Fleur looked absolutely gorgeous in her silver cashmere gown and high heels.

Linking arms with his wife they walked carefully due to Fleur wearing heels until they reached the entrance to the palace.

Harry waved to the press as they walked into the complex and getting their papers looked over.

Inside the building, Harry politely greeted his fellow Senators and other Government Officials that they meet in the Hallways.

Together they greeted the Uzbekistan and Japanese Ambassadors Tanzila Norbaeva and Hideo Hiraoka.

"Senator, Senator" Norbaeva said shaking Harry's hand "So nice to meet you finally".

"Indeed," Harry said "It's nice to meet you too," He told the Ambassador "This is my wife Fleur".

"It is a pleasure to meet you mademoiselle" Ambassador Norbaeva said bowing slighting.

Fleur nodded at that gesture.

"I don't want to keep you, two long Senator," Ambassador Norbaeva said looking around "Have you seen Chairwoman Grappelli around here by any chance".

"No I haven't," Harry said, "I believe Jacques said she will be staying home for tonight".

"Oh" The Ambassador sighed "Well good day then Senator".

"Good Day Ambassador".

"You seem to be good with politics" Fleur murmured in his year as they walked towards their table.

"You know it" Harry murmured back.

Soon after they sat down they saw German President Daniel Günther French President Maurice Duverger and Spanish President Carlos Serrano get on the stage to give the first of undoubtedly many speeches that would happen that night.

Harry did enjoy politics but by his wives leaning into him, he could tell she did not feel the same.

"Politics are more your thing dear," Fleur said seeing him look.

Harry chuckled "Yeah I suppose they appeal to only a few people," He said, "What would you like to eat".u

Fleur paused to think and look at the menu in front of them.

"I think that I would like a Cassoulet, and some bourguignon and Flamiche" Fleur decided.

"Bourguignon," Harry asked, "Isn't that the dish you never could fully make".

Fleur shook her head "Oh no I know how to make this stuff "She said, "It just takes a while to make and I never had the time".

"Oh," Harry thought for a second "I'm sure Appoline would lend you one of her house elves to help out in the house if you want" He suggested.

"We've talked about this before dear" Fleur said, "I don't need a house-elf to raise my children for me".

Harry nodded at that

Fleur had very strong opinions about not having house-elves around in the house since she wanted to spend a lot of time with the children a feeling he could understand.

While Fleur had not grown up in a family-like he had Sebastian and Appoline had been both heavily involved in the politics of winning the presidency and that left, not a lot of time to spend with Fleur and Gabrielle.

They were good parents none the less but he and Fleur had learned a lot from them for when they were raising their own kids.

Fleur had decided to not be as involved in Harry's own political career as Appoline had been with Sebastian's and Harry had already decided that he would not aspire to real high office and always make time to spend with his wife and kids.

It was something that was working out well for everyone so far.

Soon the waiter came over and Harry and Fleur placed their orders before sitting back to listen absentmindenly to the speeches as they enjoyed each other.

**Four Hours Later**

After they had finished eating and listining to the speeches Harry and Fleur headed into a grand ballroom where a lot of the French Officals and Foreigners started to head onto the floor with their dates.

Soon Harry started dancing with an energetic Fleur.

A good portion of the rest of the night was spent dancing and having a good time"It's getting closer to midnight," Fleur said looking at the clock "People are starting to head out to the balcony"."Yeah, they must be getting close to the fireworks time" Harry pondered "Let's head out there".Fleur followed him and the rest of the crowd onto the balcony.

Soon after arriving on the balcony they heard some noise.

"Diz" The crowd started to chant.

The two of them joined in the counting.

"Neuf"

"Huit"

"Sept"

"Six"

"Cinq"

"Quatre"

"Trois"

"Deux"

"Un"

"HAPPY NEW YEAR" Everyone cheered as they welcomed the year Two Thousand.

Looking at each other Fleur and Harry kissed as the new year and new century began.


	113. Chapter 113

**Authors Note** Hello sorry that I have not been updating a lot due to a lack of motivation but I'm back and would like to be posting more chapters on this and my other Harry Potter story Harry Potter and the Rise of the Second Brtish Empire

Chapter 112

December 18th, 2002

Charles de Gaulle Airport

Harry was getting excited as his family was getting ready to go on vacation.

He had decided to use the Senate Recess time to go visit Italy with his family and to spend more time with his wife and children.

When they got back Harry would be campaigning not for his own re-election that wasn't for another two years but to make sure that his party that lost the majority in 2001 was able to gain power and thus allow him to become the Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman.

He wanted that role not so much for the power but for the fact that Committee Chairman have a higher salary and thus he could provide better for his rapidly expanding family.

And what a family it had become recently.

He was now the proud father of 5 Young Girls 6-Year-Old Elena, 3-Year-old Natalie, 2-Year-old Rossi, 1-Year-old Madeline, and 5-Month-old Kathryn.

It was a lot of kids considering that they were only still only in their mid-twenties.

But the baby rabies were wearing off.

Harry thought that they weren't going to have more than maybe one more.

Any more than that became too much.

It was already hard enough to get five kids in the car so they could get to the airport on time.

Harry did not envy Fleur in that regard.

She was the one who would get the kids ready to go and he would make sure everything was ready to go.

They had decided to get to Italy the Muggle way instead of the Wizarding way.

Earlier in the year Harry had bought a 1999 Renault and had to spend forever getting it to work.

But he found the work to be fascinating nonetheless.

Despite being raised in the Wizarding World he found many things to be useful.

When he had entered the Senate he had joined the Senate Technology Caucus where he met some of the few techno Senators from both parties that he had quickly formed friendships with.

But anyhow.

As soon Fleur came out of the house with Kathryn, Madeline and Rossi in a stroller and Elena and Natalie following her.

"How was getting everyone up," Harry asked his wife as they started to get the kids into the car.

Fleur sighed.

"The kids were being as cooperative as they could I suppose," She said, "We better hurry if we want to make our flight".

Harry nodded and after getting Rossi strapped in he went around to the front of the car to get in.

Soon they were on the road towards the airport.

"You ready for our trip kids," Fleur said looking back in the car.

She got an assortment of cheers from Natalie and Elena, a confused looking Rossi and a sleeping Madeline and Kathryn.

Smiling Fleur and Harry started a small conversation in the front making sure not to wake their sleeping daughters.

"I'm excited for this trip Mi Amor," Fleur said, "I haven't been to Italy since before the war".

"Me too" Harry replied, "I cant wait to see the kid's reactions to the landmarks".

"I'm not sure the little ones will remember much" Fleur said, "But hopefully Elena and maybe Natalie will enjoy themselves".

"I'm sure they will," Harry replied."We've got a bunch of smart kids".

Soon the car became quiet for a little while until Harry heard a scuffle.

"What's going on back their girls," He asked.

"Natalie's poking me, daddy," Elena complained.

What.

Before Harry could say anything else Fleur was looking back.

"Natalie. Elena" She said, "Hands off each other now".

"Don't give me that face Natalie" Fleur said, "You don't poke your sister in the arm when we are in the car".

Harry heard the back of the car grow quiet and Fleur turned back upfront.

Leaning over to the side when they reached a stoplight Harry kissed his wife on the cheek.

Fleur smiled back at him graciously.

Harry was soon irked as they got in some Christmas Shopping Traffic.

They were going to be a while before they got to the airport.

**Time Change**

Well after 2 and a half hours they got to the Airport and somehow managed to get parking and got all the kids out of the car.

Harry didn't think that it was a long walk into their Airport but he saw Natalie and Elena seemed more tired than he would have expected.

Hopefully, they would not have to carry all of their kids around Italy.

Soon after entering the terminal Harry as surprised when they ran into Former Senator Fernand Braudel and his wife Sophie.

"Fernand" Harry called out waving.

"Harry" The elderly man replied walking over to the Delcour Family "So nice to see you here how's work been treating you".

"Pretty good," Harry said, "We have a rough season coming up this fall".

"Ah yes I know" Fernard laughed "After thirty years you experience quite a few of those".

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw that Fleur was looking at the clock.

"Sorry, but I've got to go," Harry said, "We have to catch the 7 AM flight to Milan".

"I understand," The Retired Senator said, "Me and Sophie are traveling to our Winter Home in Bavaria for the holidays and to meet up with the grandchildren".

Harry looked and saw that his arm injury from the Battle of Hogwarts was doing as well as it could for having been blown off and needing to be replaced with a metal arm.

Even 4 Years later the scars of war were still visible

But Fernard apparently did not see him looking at his metal arm.

Fernard looked and saw the kids standing by Fleur.

"My my," He said, "You've been busy I see".

Harry nodded "I've got 5 kids at home under 10 so we have our hands full," He said, "Maybe as much as at work".

Bernard laughed "Yes kids will be like that," He said, "Treasure those moments though or before you know it you're looking at grandkids on the way".

"Don't say that" Harry said shuddering "Have a good day man nice seeing you".

"You too," Fernard said, "Give the people at work my best".

"I will," Harry said, walking back to his family.

Fleur was talking to the woman at the front.

Looking back she saw him walk up.

"We're checked in," She said.

"Good" Harry nodded "Let's go to the waiting lobby then," He said taking Elena and Natalie's hands.

Walking to the waiting lobby Harry waited with the stroller as Fleur took the kids in to go use the restroom.

Soon afterward they went into the crowded lobby full of holiday travelers and were able to find a place where they all could sit.

Setting down the stroller Harry and Fleur got Natalie and Elena settled down sitting with them with Elena sitting on Harry's lap and Natalie on Fleurs.

Soon Fleur laid her head on Harry's shoulder as they began the multi-hour wait before they could board their plane.

This was going to be a while.

**Author Note** If you would like to leave a comment about anything about this story or in general i would love to hear it

Patton44


	114. Chapter 114

**Author Note **To Clarify on the Children's Ages

Elena was born in October 1996, Natalie in February 1999, Rossi in December 2000 , Madeline in September 2001 and Kathryn in July 2002

Chapter 113

December 18th, 2002

Milan, Italy

Harry rested silently in the end airplane seat with his wife sleeping on his shoulder and daughters Rossi and Natalie squeezed in with him as the youngest of their kids Madeline and Kathryn sat with Fleur and their oldest daughter Elena sat in the third seat on her own

It was definitely crowded here.

But everyone had been able to get a good amount of sleep during the plane ride as they were currently descending into the Milanese Airport.

Hearing the captain getting on the loudspeakers Harry gently shook his wife away.

"Time to get ready to go" He whispered "The planes arriving soon".

Fleur nodded and turned to wake Elena up.

Harry turned to do the same with the other kids.

And now they had a problem.

How to get a Stroller, Their stuff, and 5 Kids off the plane.

Eventually, though after getting the stroller out of their overhead compartment and getting the kids into it Harry led the way with Fleur following holding onto Elena and Natalie.

After much tense movement and a lot of waiting the family were able to get checked in and find the cab that would take all of them to their hotel.

The hours were way too long though.

But before they knew it they had gotten to and checked in at the hotel and took their stuff upstairs where they wasted no time unpacking once arriving.

Harry and Fleur just wanted to get to bed before they had a long day walking around Milan tomorrow and visiting the iconic Sforza Castle.

But their kids on the other hand after being cooped up on the plane ride for several hours had a different idea on what they wanted to do though and sleeping was not one of them.

Well for the older kids at the very least.

Elena and Natalie were chasing each other.

Getting up off the bed Harry sighed.

"Natalie, Elena break it up you too" He barked "You need to be going to bed we've got a long day tomorrow".

His two daughters stopped what they were doing and looked at Harry with their puppy dog eyes that they all seemed to be developing to try and get themselves out of trouble.

And they were damn good at it as well.

But Harry was a Senator and he would not give into a 6 and 3-year-old.

"Bed now" He repeated.

Pouting they did as they were told.

Sighing, Harry went around and helped make sure the kids were all tucked into their respective sleeping spots and helping Fleur with putting all their diapers on before going to bed.

By Merlin, he swore the sooner all their daughters were potty-trained the better.

**Time Pass**

The next day Harry and his family left the hotel and started on their way to downtown Milan.

He was amused to see the girls yawning.

Turns out they were more exhausted than they had first let on.

Getting into the Taxi Cab they soon arrived at the Sforza Castle.

Once they arrived at a place to visit though Harry found out how quickly kids could change from being tired to becoming a full bucket of energy.

He had to prevent Natalie and Elena from several times running away once they entered the palace and made sure they stayed with the family.

Those two really liked being around each other.

Harry was glad his kids were getting along so well with each other but when they were in a public place it was important for them to behave.

But all of the kids seemed very interested in looking at the surroundings they passed.

Natalie seemed very interested in looking at one of the monarchical statues.

Even the little kids in the stroller seemed to be taking some sort of an interest in looking at all of the items they were passing.

"I wonder if this means they will be interested in history later on" Fleur whispered to Harry as they walked.

"I hope so," Harry replied.

Soon they entered the Museum of Musical Instruments and started looking around.

As Harry was looking at a 15th Century Bassoon with Natalie by his side he heard Elena.

"Daddy, Daddy" She called out "Come look".

Walking over with Natalie he looked at a flute on the wall.

"Yeah that's a flute," He said, "It's just like the one we got for you at home".

"But it looks so different,"Elena asked looking at the wall.

"Yes it is princess" Harry chuckled ruffling her blonde hair "Let's move on".

Heading back to join the rest of the family they moved on to go see the Egyptian Museum.

That was an interesting part of the palace to see, to say the least.

Harry wasn't quite sure how much the kids were understanding about what they saw but he thought they all seemed very engaged.

Natalie tried her best once they got to a station about Ancient Egyptian Writing to write.

Harry and Fleur found it hilarious to see their little three year old trying to write.

Not to be upstaged though, her bigger sister Elena ran up to the station to try her hand at the project as well.

Laughing Fleur let the kids out of the stroller so that they could go and have fun with their sisters.

Harry and Fleur found a bench that they could sit down at while they watched the girls play.

"Aren't they so cute" Fleur whispered.

"Yeah" Harry chuckled "It figured that we bring them to Milan and they find the coloring stations to be the most interesting".

"That's fine" Fleur whispered, smiling as they watched Elena help out her younger sister Rossi on one of the coloring places.

"Hey Madeline we don't go through doors were not supposed too," Fleur said going to go after their rambunxious child.

Sitting at the bench Harry watched the rest of his kids played together.

This was nice

Even if the kids didn't get a lot out of this trip he enjoyed the scenery and spending time with his family.

Once he got back to work he wasn't sure when he would be able to do something like this again.

He wanted to try and go out with the whole family as much as he could though.

Oh well.

Harry stood up and started heading towards the kids.

Time to go to the next place.

**Author Note **Harry and Fleur are not rich and thus there has to be a way they support each other. Not everyone will like it when I write Senator Harry scenes but he needs a job and this is a different occupation than what Harry typically does in other stories. But I will try and do Harry/Fleur/Family Scenes

Cheers


	115. Announcment

Hello Everyone

I have started posting a new story Harry Potter and the Dark Arts that I encourage you all to check out

It involves Harry Potter/Daphnee Greengrass as well as Time Travel/Rebirth, Grindlewald, and the Mauraders.

I have plans to make the story at least as long or longer than Silver Vixen

Thanks

Patton44


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